Weekly Cable Ratings: ESPN Dominates Field During Christmas Week

By R. Thomas Umstead
published

Sports network scores primetime, total-day wins

Tony Pollard #20 of the Dallas Cowboys runs the ball during an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium on December 30, 2023
Tony Pollard #20 of the Dallas Cowboys runs the ball during an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium on December 30, 2023 (Image credit: Getty Images)

ESPN, led by holiday NBA and NFL telecasts, was the most-watched cable network in primetime and total day last week. 

ESPN averaged 4.7 million viewers for the week of December 25-31, easily besting second place Fox News Channel’s 1 million viewers for the week, according to Nielsen numbers supplied by Fox News. The sports network benefited from a December 30 Dallas Cowboys-Detroit Lions NFL telecast that averaged 11.3 million viewers.

Hallmark Channel finished third with 896,000 viewers, followed by HGTV with 698,000 viewers and MSNBC with 664,000 watchers. Paramount Network was sixth with 621,000 viewers, followed by TBS (604,000 viewers), History (600,000 viewers), and CNN and INSP (tied with 595,000 viewers). 

ESPN’s 2 million viewers in total day topped Fox News (911,000 viewers), Hallmark Channel (580,000), MSNBC (537,000) and CNN (451,000), according to Nielsen.  

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.