Ratings Roundup: 2023 NBA Draft is Most Watched Draft of All Time Across Networks
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Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press releases and reports around the industry. In this week’s edition, NASCAR Cup Series in Nashville is most watched season opener in three years; 2023 Mens NCAA College World Series is most watched MCWS ever on ESPN platforms.
NASCAR Cup Series From Nashville is NBC Sports’ Most-Watched Season Opener in Three Years, Up 9% vs. 2022
NBC Sports’ coverage of the Ally 400 from Nashville Superspeedway – its inaugural race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season — averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 3.230 million viewers, making it NBC Sports’ most-watched season opener in three years and the most-watched sporting event of the weekend.
Won by Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain, the Ally 400 (7:00-10:15 p.m. ET) was NBC Sports’ most-watched season opener since Indianapolis (4.375 million) during the 2020 pandemic and its second-best opener since Daytona in 2017 (5.440 million). It outpaced the weather-delayed 2022 Nashville race by 9% (2.973 million) and was up 16% compared to the average race viewership on NBC in 2022 (2.784 million).
Locally, Charlotte led all markets with a 4.80 rating. Following are the Top 10:
| RANK | MARKET | RATING |
| 1 | Charlotte | 4.80 |
| 2 | Greensboro | 4.56 |
| 3 | Greenville | 4.54 |
| 4 | Knoxville | 4.10 |
| 5 | Birmingham | 3.89 |
| 6 | Buffalo | 3.50 |
| 7 | Louisville | 3.44 |
| 8 | Nashville | 3.24 |
| 9 | Indianapolis | 3.21 |
| 10 | Raleigh-Durham | 3.06 |
2023 NCAA Men’s College World Series Marks Most-Watched MCWS on ESPN Platforms on Record
The 2023 NCAA Men’s College World Series (MCWS) marked the most-watched MCWS on ESPN platforms on record. The 16-game postseason averaged 1.65 million viewers across the platforms, up 48% from the 2022 MCWS.
The best-of-three Finals series showcase between LSU and Florida brought in a record-setting audience, averaging 2.86 million viewers across three games (ESPN/ESPNU), up 75% from last year’s two-game Finals. Game 1 saw 2.75 million viewers (Saturday, June 24), up 68% from 2022, making it the most-watched Finals Game 1 on record on ESPN platforms and fourth-best MCWS game on record. Game 2 notched 2.25 million viewers (Sunday, June 25), up 38% over 2022’s second game, and finished as the second-most-watched Finals Game 2 on record for ESPN platforms behind only 2009.
This year’s MCWS concluded on Monday, June 26, with a Game 3 showdown where LSU earned its seventh national championship. Game 3 of the Finals was the most-watched MCWS game on record for ESPN platforms, averaging 3.58 million viewers and peaking at 4.2 million viewers.
The 16-game postseason tournament took place from June 16-26 from Omaha, Neb., exclusively airing across ESPN platforms. The event concluded ESPN’s expansive NCAA Championships coverage for the 2022-23 season, marking the 31st championship event to air across ESPN platforms.
Most-Watched NBA Draft Ever on Any Network
The 2023 edition of the NBA Draft Presented By State Farm was the most-watched NBA Draft ever on any network – according to Nielsen. The first round averaged 4,928,000 viewers across ESPN and ABC, up 24 percent from last year’s first round on both platforms. It peaked with 6,085,000 viewers in the 8 p.m. ET quarter hour.
Overall, the NBA Draft averaged 3,743,000 viewers across ESPN (both rounds) and ABC (first round-only). The average audience was up 23 percent from last year. The NBA Draft started airing on both ESPN and ABC in 2021.
The NBA Draft on ESPN and ABC was the most-watched program of the day across all of television and in all key demographics.
