Tag: television

Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; A general view as Fox NFL Sunday co-host Terry Bradshaw interviews Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) after winning against Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Fox projections put Super Bowl viewership at record high

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Despite the Super Bowl being a blowout, an average of 126 million U.S. viewers tuned in to see the Philadelphia Eagles thrash the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 on Sunday, according to estimates Monday from Fox Sports.

The game in New Orleans was available for viewing on Fox, Telemundo, Fox Deportes, Tubi and the NFL digital’s channels.

The old record of 123.7 million was set a year ago when the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime on a game shown by CBS, Nickelodeon, Univision and streaming channels.

Fox projected the peak viewership for Sunday was 135.7 million in the second quarter, from 8-8:15 p.m. ET. By halftime, the Eagles led 24-0 and the competitive portion of the game was essentially over.

Tubi, which made the broadcast available for free, drew 13.6 million viewers, part of a total of 14.5 million people estimated to have streamed the game.

The official ratings for the Super Bowl, calculated by Nielsen, are due to be announced on Tuesday.

The Super Bowl is annually the most watched U.S. telecast of the year. In fact, 19 of the top 20 most-viewed telecasts in national history are Super Bowls, the lone exception being the final episode of the sitcom “M*A*S*H,” which drew 105.9 million viewers in 1983.

Until this year’s official numbers come out, No. 1 on the list is last year’s Super Bowl, and No. 2 is the Super Bowl from February 2023, when 115 million saw the Chiefs edge the Eagles 38-35 in Glendale, Ariz.

–Field Level Media

Apr 28, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected as the eleventh overall pick to the New Orleans Saints during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft at the NFL Draft Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Draft: First round is least-watched since 2017

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The first round of the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday night brought in the fewest TV viewers since 2017, according to Sports Business Journal.

ABC, ESPN and NFL Network combined to draw 10.03 million viewers, roughly 2.5 million fewer than last year’s first round and the lowest mark since the network simulcast window was introduced in 2018.

The viewership number still cleared eight digits. The last time it was lower, a combined 9.23 million viewers tuned in for the 2017 first round on ESPN and NFL Network.

The first round, in particular the top 10, was dominated by defensive players and offensive linemen with few big names among the so-called skill players. The only quarterback drafted in the first round, Pitt’s Kenny Pickett, went No. 20 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The viewership number has tumbled since the record of 15.27 million was set in 2020, though that was boosted by more people staying indoors during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The draft continues Friday with the second and third round before concluding Saturday afternoon with rounds 4-7.

–Field Level Media

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead (91) celebrates after a game-winning field goal to defeat the Green Bay Packers 13-10 during their NFL divisional round football playoff game Saturday January 22, 2022, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Apc Packvs49ers 0122221129djpb

NFL divisional playoffs draw record TV ratings

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The NFL’s divisional playoffs delivered great drama and record TV ratings last weekend.

The divisional-round games averaged 38.2 million viewers — the highest average for the round on record — the league announced on Tuesday. That viewership marked a 21 percent increase from last season.

Saturday night’s San Francisco-Green Bay Packers NFC game on Fox, a 13-10 49ers win decided by Robbie Gould’s 45-yard field goal on the game’s final play, drew 36.9 million viewers. The game was the most-watched TV show on a Saturday night in 28 years, dating to the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ dramatic 42-36 overtime AFC win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night on CBS drew an average 42.7 million viewers. It was the most-watched divisional playoff game in five years, with viewership peaking at 51.7 million viewers at the thrilling finish.

The Los Angeles Rams’ 30-27 NFC victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday on NBC drew 38.1 million viewers. It was the network’s most-watched game since in 2006, excluding Super Bowls.

The Cincinnati Bengals’ 19-16 AFC win over the Tennessee Titans, decided by Evan McPherson’s 52-yard field goal as time expired, Saturday on CBS averaged 30.8 million viewers.

–Field Level Media

Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) kisses the trophy Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022, after defeating Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

CFP title-game ratings lag again despite slight uptick

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Georgia staged a fourth-quarter rally to defeat Alabama in the College Football Playoff final on Monday night, but television viewers weren’t completely enthralled.

While TV ratings for the contest were up 19 percent from the CFP title game the prior year, the contest was still the second-least-watched college football championship game this century.

A total of 22.6 million viewers across numerous ESPN-branded networks watched Georgia top Alabama 33-18 in Indianapolis. Last year, when Alabama routed Ohio State 52-24 for the title, 18.7 million tuned in.

Since the Bowl Championship Series began pitting the nation’s top two teams in a title game in 1998-99, and then the current four-team CFP system began in 2014-15, last year’s game and this year’s game sit at the bottom of the ratings list.

The record rating during the CFP era was 34.6 million when Ohio State beat Oregon 42-20 to cap the 2014-15 season.

When Alabama beat Georgia 26-23 in overtime to determine the 2017-18 championship, 28.4 million people watched.

According to ESPN, the Monday game was the highest-rated event on cable television since LSU’s 42-25 win over Clemson in the 2019-20 CFP title game. The network also stated that the game’s 29 percent “share” (percentage of viewers watching television at the time who were watching that program) was a record for the BCS era.

–Field Level Media

Why Smaller Sports League Want in on Legal Sports Betting

Posted on | by Brett Smiley

While the four major U.S. sports leagues wrestle with how to approach the rapidly expanding legal sports betting market in the states, a bevy of smaller leagues and sports organizations are quickly embracing the emerging market.

The reason various niche sports are seeking out deals with sportsbook operators, gaming companies and sports information providers is grounded in the desire to expand their sports through the increased fan engagement that sports wagering can stimulate.

The four big dogs — Major League Baseball, the National Football League, National Basketball Association and National Hockey League — have long known that gambling drives eyeballs, but as longtime opponents of legal sports betting, they are proceeding more cautiously in this new era. In fact, the leagues are calling for federal intervention on sports betting once again. But in any framework, legal sports betting is good for business and a potential lifeline for leagues fighting to stay afloat.

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