ESPN’s NFL Studios Shows Had a Record-Breaking 2023
Amid all the talk of the death of linear television and the inevitable transition of ESPN to a direct-to-consumer platform, all of the network’s NFL Studio shows saw an increase in ratings in 2023.
Leading the way was ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown, which achieved its most-watched regular season since 2019.
ESPN’s flagship program show averaged 1,335,000 viewers per show, which was up 8% from 2022 and 15% from 2021.
Sunday NFL Countdown also managed to increase its audience in every key demographic, including Persons 18-49 (6%), Persons 18-24 (3%), and Females (5%).
The studio show also managed to deliver its most-watched episode in nine seasons during Week 4 of the NFL season.
A Strong Year For NFL Live
Like NFL Sunday Countdown, NFL Live also delivered a strong year for ESPN.
The 2023 season of the show managed 406,000 average viewers. The show has now had three consecutive years of strong numbers.
‘Monday Night Countdown’
Finally, Monday Night Countdown averaged 1.4 million viewers on ESPN and an additional 4.2 million viewers for the five episodes that ran on ABC.
The show’s success helped propel ESPN’s Monday Night Football to a 20+ year viewership high.
While the Worldwide Leader in Sports’ future remains in streaming, 2023 proved that the death of linear TV may have been overstated.
With ESPN in negotiations with the NFL about a potential equity stake, the network’s reliance on pro football may soon increase dramatically.
As the network braces for a new era, it has to be happy that its most marketable shows are thriving.
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