ABC did not win the ratings battle on Wednesday night. The ESPYs telecast came in tied for second amongst the broadcast networks.
The good news for ESPN and ABC is the event saw some serious ratings growth. The 2022 event drew 2.3 million viewers. That nearly doubles the audience from 2021.
Is there a lesson to be learned here? Yes, do not air an awards show on a Saturday night.
The 2021 ESPYs drew just 1.2 million viewers, airing in a primetime slot on a Saturday.
While it is a nice bounce back from the previous year, the ESPYs telecast is still down from its pre-pandemic levels. The 2019 event drew an audience of nearly 4 million.
CBS’s Big Brother may be an afterthought for many, but enough people are still hooked. A new episode of the reality competition series drew 3.4 million viewers and won the night.
The first hour of the ESPYs tied with FOX’s MasterChef, which also had 2.3 million viewers.
