Ratings Roundup: NFL Draft Sees Significant Grow on ESPN, NFL Net, Digital Platforms

The NFL Draft, which has seen substantial viewership gains since it moved to a three-day format in which the first three rounds are televised in primetime, pulled in big numbers on both ESPN and NFL Network last week. The combined first-round coveage on ESPN and NFL Network on Thursday night averaged 7.7 million viewers, five million more than the Clippers-Grizzles on TNT (2.6 million and the highest rated NBA playoff game of the day) and Ranks as the third-most-watched first round ever behind 2010 (8.3 million viewers) and 2012 (8.1 million viewers).

Although the ESPN's first-round coverage was down from last year's Andrew Luck-RG3-headlined NFL Draft, the network's overall three-day coverage of the 2013 Draft saw increases in both ratings and viewership over 2012. The three-day telecast delivered a 2.1 US rating up 3% from 2012 (2.0) and 6% from 2011 (1.9) and an average viewership of 3,035,000 viewers, up 4% over both 2012 (2,924,000) and 2011 (2,918,000). New Orleans (4.7 rating), Birmingham, Ala. (4.5), and Kansas City (4.4) toped all metered markets.

ESPN's first-round coverage on Thursday night averaged 6,199,000 viewers with a 4.1 US rating (based on fast nationals), down 7% from last year (4.4 US rating and 6,661,000 viewers), but up 8% in rating (3.8 US rating) and 3% in viewership (6,003,000) compared to 2011. Rounds 2-3 on ESPN and ESPN 2 on Friday night generated a 1.9 US rating and 2,727,000 viewers, up slightly from last year's second and third rounds on ESPN (1.9 US rating and 2,679,000 viewers) and a double-digit increase from 2011 coverage (1.6 US rating and 2,386,000). Finally Rounds 4-7 on Saturday delivered a 1.1 US rating, up 8% over last year's coverage (1.0 US), while viewership averaged 1,610,000, 12% ahead of 2012 (1,437,000)

As for NFL Network, the league-owned network pulled in record rating and viewership numbers, averaging 933,000 viewers for a spike of 23% over 2012. Meanwhile, NFL Network's rating for the 2013 NFL Draft jumped 26% over 2012 to a .62 HH rating. NFL Network's first-round coverage drew a record average of 1.5 million viewers up 7% over last year's previous record (1.4 million viewers)

Digital platforms saw even more dramatic heights, as NFL.com and NFL Mobile's draft coverage grew to over 13 million unique viewers, a 31% increase over 2012, with NFL Mobile up 126% versus last year. Meanwhile, the average minute audience to the NFL section on ESPN.com and the ESPN mobile Web was up 13% and 7%, respectively, compared to last year. Additionally, average minute audience, visits and daily unique visitors to NFL content on the ScoreCenter app were up 200%, 102% and 49%. Total minutes to live coverage of the NFL Draft on WatchESPN were also up 562% from last year

Heading into their final regular-season games last week, the Penguins were on pace to post the highest average RSN rating for any U.S.-based MLB, NBA or NHL team since 2002. Penguins games on Root Sports were averaging a 12.56 Nielsen rating in the Pittsburgh market, a mark that would be the highest RSN rating for any U.S.-based NHL team on record. Since 1997, only the 2002 Seattle Mariners on FSN Northwest (13.2 average) would have a higher rating among U.S.-based MLB, NBA or NHL teams than what the Penguins were averaging as of last week. (SportsBusiness Journal)

In other NHL news, NESN set a Bruins regular season ratings record during the 2013 season by garnering a 6.3 average household rating in the Boston DMA. The 6.3 season rating is a 35% increase over the 2011-12 season, when NESN set the network's previous record with a 4.7 HH rating. For the second year in a row, NESN's Bruins ratings ranked third nationally among regional sports networks. The Bruins season was also highlighted by the best-ever regular-season game rating, a 9.4 HH rating on January 19 when the Bruins beat the New York Rangers 3-1 in the season opener. In addition, 18 of the network's top 25 regular season Bruins game ratings of all-time were achieved during the 2013 season

Comcast SportsNet Chicago posted the highest Blackhawks final regular season TV ratings average in the history of Chicago regional sports television a 5.38 household season average rating (approx. 187,482 households watching per game), which is a 73% increase over last season's 3.11 previous record final average (an increase of 79,183 more households tuning in per game this season). In addition, Comcast SportsNet's record-setting 5.38 Blackhawks regular season household average in the Chicago market this year is a 94% increase from the final season average two years ago (2.78), a 121% increase from the final season average three years ago (2.44), a 327% increase from the final season average four years ago (1.26), and an astounding 754% increase from just five years ago (0.63). In addition, The top 33 highest-rated Blackhawks regular season games in Chicago regional sports network history have all occurred THIS season (Comcast SportsNet carried a total of 39 regular season games this year) with the all-time high posted on March 5 vs. Minnesota (7.86)

Last week's UEFA Champions League first-leg semifinal matches on FOX Deportes averaged a 5.7 Hispanic coverage-area score with average viewership hitting 560K for the dual Spain/Germany matches. That marks the strongest combined showing of the semifinal round since FOX Deportes began airing UEFA back during the 2009-2010 season and was up 11% over last year's first leg. The second-leg semifinal matches are scheduled to air on FOX Deportes on Tuesday and Wednesday. (Cynopsis Sports)

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