Sports Radio 610 Wins Sports Radio Ratings Battle In Houston

Houston’s Sports Radio 610 continued it’s solid performance in 2020, topping their market competition for the third straight ratings book. While 610 again produced the strongest numbers overall during the summer quarter, Sports Talk 790 enjoyed some gains as well. 

In weekday prime (M-F 6a – 7p), 610 was tied for 19^th with a 2.1 share while SportsTalk 790 placed 23^rd with a 1.3, both stations were down slightly from the spring book. 97.5 ESPN Houston finished 25^th earning below a 1 share. 

610’s morning show featuring Seth Payne and Sean Pendergast saw their ratings dip marginally for the second straight book, finishing 16^th with a 2.2 share from 6 – 10a. ESPN Houston and Sports Talk 790 finished 24^th and 25^th respectively, both earning below a 1 share. ESPN Houston breaks up the 4-hour block by offering a combination of the network’s national morning show and The Bench with John Granato and Lance Zierlein, which begins at 7am. Sports Talk 790’s morning show with Sean Salisbury fills the full 6 – 10a window.

In middays between 10a – 2p, 610’s John Lopez and Landry Locker finished the summer book tied for 15^th place with a 2.2 share, down from a 2.6 in the spring, but a jump in ranking by five spots year-over-year. In the same window, ESPN Houston finished tied for 25^th, dipping below a 1 share, while offering the last hour of Granato and Zierlein, followed by The Press Box with Charlie Pallilo and Joel Blank with Nick Sharara from 11a – 2p. 

From 10a – 3p, Sports Talk 790 placed 23^rd, finishing similarly to their spring book with a 1.2 share. During the five-hour midday block, 790 features a combination of In The Trenches with ND Kalu and The Matt Thomas Show.  

In afternoons, 610’s Clint Stoerner and Ron ‘Show’ Hughley finished 21^st with a 2 share from 2 – 6p. It was the lone daypart not won by 610, as Sports Talk 790 edged them out with a 2.2 share. The afternoon schedule on 790 offers the final hour of Matt Thomas, followed by The A-Team w/ Wexler and Clanton from 3 – 6p.. ESPN Houston was a point and a half behind, finishing tied for 25^th in the same block, airing Josh Innes from 2 – 4p, followed by The Blitz with Fred Faour and AJ Hoffman from 4 – 7p.

Brandon Contes

Brandon Contes is a former reporter for BSM, now working for Awful Announcing. You can find him on Twitter @BrandonContes or reach him by email at Brandon.Contes@gmail.com.