Weekly Cable Ratings: NBA Draft, College World Series Help ESPN Top Primetime

Dylan Crews (3) of the University of Florida Gators during game three of the 2023 College World Series championship round.
(Image credit: ESPN)

ESPN was the most-watched network during the penultimate week of June, besting last week’s leaders Fox News Channel and MSNBC. 

ESPN averaged 1.7 million primetime viewers during the week of June 19 to June 25 to top all cable networks, according to Nielsen numbers provided by Fox News. ESPN was bolstered by its June 22 NBA Draft coverage, which drew 2.7 million viewers, and its June 24 LSU-Florida College World Series telecast, which pulled in 2.5 million watchers.

Fox News was second for the week with 1.5 million viewers, followed by MSNBC's 1.3 million viewers, HGTV’s 802,000 viewers and INSP’s 749,000 watchers.

CNN was sixth with 749,000 viewers, followed by Discovery Channel (665,000), History (606,000), TLC (601,000) and Hallmark Channel (588,000).

On a 24-hour basis, Fox News won for its 25th consecutive week, followed by MSNBC  (849,000 viewers), ESPN (662,000), CNN (579,000) and HGTV (453,000).

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.