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, ESPN’s Formula 1 sees record viewership this year with a 19% viewership increase; Wimbledon gets its most-watched Day One in 22 years; and more.
Wimbledon 2025 ESPN Delivers Most-Watched Quarterfinals in Six Years
Quarterfinals
+25% vs 2024
488K P2+ viewers on ESPN and ESPN2
Through quarterfinals vs. 2024
+237% engagement
+25% viewership on ESPN+
The NASCAR Cup Series Race on TNT/TruTV Had 1.07 Household Rating with 2.1 Million Viewers
NCS: Round 2 of the inaugural In-Season Challenge simulcast across TNT/TruTV from the Chicago Street Race combined to deliver a 1.07 household rating with 2.1 million viewers tuned in per minute, ranking NASCAR as the #1 sports event of the week on cable television
No direct YOY comparison, as last year this event was impacted by weather and aired on NBC
Viewership was up +28% over last week’s NCS race
TNT averaged 1.88 million viewers, up +21% over last week
The TruTV Alt-Cast averaged 184,000 viewers, up 3X over last week, and accounted for 9% of the total linear audience, up from 4% last week
At peak, 2.8 million viewers were tuned in 5P-5:15P near the conclusion of the race
Big increase in younger P18-34 audience: up 84% vs. 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Sunday afternoon races on cable and up 87% vs. 2024 NASCAR Cup Series races on cable
Share up 22% vs. 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Sunday afternoon races on cable and up 25% vs. 2024 NASCAR Cup Series races on cable
Note: Linear viewership information does not include streaming viewership via MAX (which is not Nielsen-rated) or TNT Sports’ authenticated connected apps.
NXS: the event on The CW averaged a 0.60 household rating with 1.14 million viewers tuned in per minute
No direct YOY comparison, as last year this event aired on NBC
This is the most-watched NXS race since Charlotte in May
The race ranked as the #1 program of the week on The CW for the 17th of 18 NXS races this season (weather at Atlanta II last week)
At peak, 1.3 million viewers were tuned in near the conclusion of the race
Weekend Motorsports, ranked by audience size:
NCS (Chicago): 2.063 million viewers on TNT/TruTV
Formula One (Great Britain): 1.547 million viewers on ESPN2
NXS (Chicago): 1.137 million viewers on The CW
IndyCar (Mid-Ohio): 775,000 viewers on FOX
Motocross (Redbud): 391,000 viewers on NBC
On social, Bleacher Report delivered more than double the views and engagements for content surrounding this past weekend’s race in Chicago vs. last week’s race in Atlanta
39 million views across Bleacher Report, B/R Racing and House of Highlights social platforms, up 130% week over week
73% of Bleacher Report’s and House of Highlights’ audience is under 34 years old
NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 165 – Aired Sunday, July 6th on TNT/TruTV
Note: No direct comparison; The 2024 event was impacted by rain and aired on NBC
U.S. Rating
2025: 1.07 on TNT/TruTV
No direct comparison (NBC in 2024)
Avg. Viewers (000) (all ages P2+)
2025: 2,063 (2.1 million)
No direct comparison (NBC in 2024)
NASCAR Xfinity Series The Loop 110 – Aired Saturday, July 5th on The CW
Note: No direct comparison; The 2024 event aired on NBC
U.S. Rating
2025: 0.60 on The CW
No direct YOY comparison (NBC in 2024)
Avg. Viewers (000) (all ages P2+)
2025: 1,137 (1.1 million)
No direct YOY comparison (NBC in 2024)
FOX MLB Produces Its Second Most-Watched Baseball Telecast This Season
2.51 million viewers tuned in to BASEBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA for a two-game slate, highlighted by the Houston Astros’ 6-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
FOX’s second most-watched Major League Baseball telecast this season
Up +34% over last year’s average for MLB telecasts on FOX (vs. 1.88M)
Overall, FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL is having its best season through the first weekend of July since 2021.
ESPN Formula 1 Coverage Enjoying Record-Breaking Season of Viewership
ESPN2’s live telecast of the Formula 1 British Grand Prix on Sunday, July 6, averaged 1.5 million viewers, a 19 percent audience gain over last year’s race and the largest audience ever for the event on U.S. television, per Nielsen. The audience peaked at 1.8 million between 11:30-11:45 a.m. ET as Lando Norris closed out a popular first home country win.
Eleven of 12 races held so far this season have had year-over-year viewership growth and seven of the 12 have set event viewership records.
The British Grand Prix audience was up from last year’s viewership of 1.3 million, which at the time was the largest ever for the race. The race also averaged 629,000 viewers in the Persons ages 18-49 demographic.
Of the 12 F1 races held so far this season, all but one (Miami) have seen year-over-year viewership increases and seven of the 12 (Australia, China, Monaco, Spain, Canada, Austria and Britain) scored event record audiences. The audience for the Monaco Grand Prix was the third-largest live audience ever for a Formula 1 race on U.S. television.
Across ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, F1 races are averaging 1.3 million viewers, up seven percent over the season-to-date average for the 2024 season and up 17 percent over the full 2024 season average.
In the younger demographic of Persons ages 18-49, races are averaging 511,000 viewers, up 14 percent over the 2024 season to date average and up 24 percent over the full 2024 season average.
ESPN Serves Wimbledon’s Most-Watched First Round in Eight Years
Averaging 571,000 viewers P2+, up 43% vs. 2024
Day Two audience (604,000 viewers P2+), up 48% vs. 2024
Best non-July 4th Day Two since 2007
ESPN Records its Most-Watched Day One of Wimbledon in 22 Years Since Airing Iconic Tournament
539,000 average viewers P2+
Viewership up 37% vs. 2024
ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball Featuring the Minnesota Twins vs. Detroit Tigers Averaged 2 Million Viewers – Up 66% From Last Year’s Comparable Game
ESPN is generating its largest Sunday Night Baseball Presented by Capital One audience in eight years, since 2017, according to Nielsen. Through 14 games, Sunday Night Baseball is averaging 1,750,000 million viewers, up 11 percent from last year.
ESPN’s coverage of Detroit’s 3-0 victory over Minnesota on the June 29 edition of Sunday Night Baseball Presented by Capital One averaged two million viewers (2,020,000). The audience peaked with 2,304,000 viewers in the 9:15 p.m. ET quarter hour. Viewership for the Twins vs. Tigers game broadcast was up 66 percent from last year’s comparable Sunday Night Baseball game (Texas Rangers vs. Baltimore Orioles).
In addition to ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball success, the company also delivered the largest national Opening Day audience in seven years on March 27 (Brewers vs. Yankees).
On deck: Sunday Night Baseball Presented by Capital One continues on 4th of July weekend, July 6, with a special doubleheader on ESPN. At 6 p.m. ET Nolan Arenado and the St. Louis Cardinals will face Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Chicago Cubs from Wrigley Field. The second game of the July 6 doubleheader will feature Corey Seager and the Texas Rangers visiting Fernando Tatís Jr. and the San Diego Padres, at 9 p.m.
NASCAR Viewership Information from James Hallas Regarding Races at Atlanta II and Lime Rock.
NCS: Round 1 of the inaugural In-Season Challenge simulcast across TNT/TruTV at Atlanta combined to deliver a 0.82 household rating with 1.61 million viewers tuned in per minute
NCS ranked as the #1 sports event Saturday on cable television, and ranked as the #2 sports event of the weekend overall on cable behind only MLB Sunday Night on ESPN (1.86 million)
The race was red-flagged on lap 43 due to weather, which resulted in a mid-race delay between 7:45P-8:15P. Viewership dropped -16% in the 7:45P-8P quarter hour from 7:30P-7:45P. Due to the short duration of the delay, rain coverage remains in the final ratings data. The race resumed shortly before 8:15P and aired until conclusion at 11:31P
At peak, 1.8 million viewers were tuned into TNT/TruTV from 9:45P-10P
For additional context, the most recent NCS race to air Saturday night in prime was 2024 Bristol (USA Network) which averaged 1.86 million viewers. Also, the 2024 Clash at the Coliseum, which aired Saturday night in prime on cable (FS1) averaged 1.51 million viewers
Note: Linear viewership information does not include streaming viewership via MAX (which is not Nielsen-rated) or TNT Sports’ authenticated connected apps.
NXS: Friday night’s weather-impacted event at Atlanta averaged a 0.33 household rating on The CW with 583,000 viewers tuned in per minute
Weather delayed the start of Friday’s race by approximately one hour. The race was also red-flagged on Lap 36 due to another threat of weather, which caused a mid-race delay from approximately 9:03P-10:32P
Rain coverage on The CW averaged 513,000 viewers per minute from 9:03P-10:32P
Note: Weather-impacted time frames are excluded from overall NXS viewership averages
At peak, 936,000 viewers were tuned in prior to the mid-race weather delay just after 9P
NCTS: Saturday’s event at Lime Rock earned a 0.36 household rating on FOX, with an average of 616,000 viewers tuned in per minute
No direct YOY comparison; No NCTS races on FOX in 2024
For context, viewership was up +11% over the 2025 NCTS race average to-date
At peak, 762,000 viewers were tuned in
Weekend Motorsports, ranked by audience size:
NCS (Atlanta II): 1.608 million viewers on TNT/TruTv
Formula One (Austria): 1.103 million viewers on ESPN
NHRA (Norwalk): 674,000 viewers on FOX
NCTS (Lime Rock): 616,000 viewers on FOX
NXS (Atlanta II): 583,000 viewers on The CW (weather-impacted)
ARCA (Lime Rock): 78,000 viewers on FS2
NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 –Aired Saturday, June 28th on TNT/TruTV
Notes: No direct YOY comparison; First race on TNT/TruTV in 2025; First leg of inaugural In-Season Challenge
Linear viewership information does not include streaming viewership via MAX (which is not Nielsen-rated) or TNT Sports’ authenticated connected apps.
U.S. Rating
2025: 0.82 on TNT/TruTv
No direct YOY comparison
Avg. Viewers (000) (all ages P2+)
2025: 1,608 (1.6 million)
No direct YOY comparison
NASCAR Xfinity Series Focused Health 250 – Aired Friday, June 27th on The CW
Notes: Race was impacted by weather, delaying start approx. one hour, and mid-race for approx. 90 minutes following red flag on Lap 36
Weather impacted times are excluded from ratings
U.S. Rating
2025: 0.33 on The CW
No direct YOY comparison (weather in 2025)
Avg. Viewers (000) (all ages P2+)
2025: 583 (583,000)
No direct YOY comparison (weather in 2025)
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series LiUNA! 150 – Aired Saturday, June 28th on FOX
U.S. Rating
2025: 0.36 on FOX
No direct YOY comparison
Avg. Viewers (000) (all ages P2+)
2025: 616 (616,000)
No direct YOY comparison