US Open final makes ratings history on ESPN
NEW YORK, NY, USA - Saturday's US Open women's final saw Sloane Stephens write her name in the tennis history books -- and the broadcast ones, as well.
The all-American final, where unseeded Stephens defeated No. 15 seed Madison Keys, 6-3, 6-0 for her first major title, earned a 1.9 overnight rating in the metered markets for the match portion of the three-hour telecast.
The figure is 36% higher than last year’s women’s final from New York, and was the highest overnight rating for the women's final match in the three years ESPN has held exclusivity for the US Open – first ball to last ball coverage.
Notably, due to Hurricane Irma, tennis strongholds Miami and Ft. Myers are not included in the figures. From 5:15 – 5:30 p.m. ET, during the trophy presentation, ESPN earned a 2.2 rating.
In addition to tradition viewing, three components of streaming the match were also significantly higher than years past.
The total number of unique viewers was up 71%, the total minutes watched was up 15% and the average minute audience was up 38% to a new high for 2015-17.
