2019 Wimbledon Sees 30 Percent Viewership Increase

Gentlemen’s Championship Ranks as Second Most-Viewed Tennis Telecast in ESPN History

Multiple Events Experience Summer Ratings Spike

(espnpressroom.com) The 2019 Wimbledon Championships on ESPN averaged 877,000 viewers (P2+), an increase of 30% over last year (675,000), according to Nielsen. The two weeks of coverage included nearly 150 hours from London. Eleven of the 13 days experienced an increase in viewership.

The most-viewed two days came on Championship Weekend – 3,329,000 for the Gentlemen’s Championship and Ladies’ Doubles Championship on Sunday – ESPN’s second-most viewed tennis telecast in history, and an average of 1,197,000 for Saturday’s Ladies’ Championship and the Men’s Doubles Championship. Sunday’s Men’s Final telecast was the most-viewed since the Federer vs. Murray final in 2012 with 3,300,000 viewers, an increase of 211% from last year’s Men’s final telecast.

Additional Summer Event Increases

Additional ESPN summer events that have seen viewership growth:

  • Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby which averaged 6,201,000 viewers (P2+), an increase of 4% over last year (5,971,000).
  • Formula 1—through ten live races this season— has averaged 677,000 viewers (P2+), an increase of 18% over last year (574,000).
  • NBA Summer League games averaged 601,000 viewers on ESPN, an increase of 35% from last year.
  • NBA Summer League matchup between New Orleans and New York averaged 1,641,000 viewers (P2+), making it the most-viewed NBA Summer League game ever across ESPN networks.
  • Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest which averaged 1,153,000 viewers (P2+), an increase of 4% from last year (1,114,000).

These increases come on the heels of a tremendous June.

Media Contact:

Belen Michelis
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