French Open USA ratings

[insideguy]

French Open finals in line with last season​

French Open coverage featuring the Novak Djokovic-Casper Ruud men’s final averaged a 0.9 rating and 1.56 million viewers on NBC, down 3% in ratings but up 5% in viewership from Rafael Nadal against Ruud last year (0.95, 1.49M).

Coverage featuring the Iga Świątek-Karolína Muchová women’s final averaged a 0.6 and 1.04 million, down just 6% and 1% respectively from Świątek’s win over American star Coco Gauff a year ago (0.7, 1.05M).

Anyway this give people not from the USA an example where this stuff is in the United States if ya care. Make of it what ya will.

 

[Fabresque]

What are the comparisons to the viewership from 2006-2014?

 

[jm1980]

French Open coverage featuring the Novak Djokovic-Casper Ruud men’s final averaged a 0.9 rating and 1.56 million viewers on NBC, down 3% in ratings but up 5% in viewership from Rafael Nadal against Ruud last year (0.95, 1.49M).

That's strange, I thought Nadal was massively more popular than Djokovic in the US?

 

[insideguy]

That's strange, I thought Nadal was massively more popular than Djokovic in the US?

Honestly people who say that know nothing. Most US tennis fans just tune in to whatever. I have no idea about the rest of the world.

 

[insideguy]

What are the comparisons to the viewership from 2006-2014?

I do not know. That being said. Tennis ratings in the USA suck.

 

[NoleFam]

Djokovic-Alcaraz French Open Semifinal is Tennis Channel’s second-most Watched Match Ever

DJOKOVIC-ALCARAZ FRENCH OPEN SEMIFINAL IS TENNIS CHANNEL’S SECOND-MOST WATCHED MATCH EVER Network’s Coverage of Clash Between All-Time Great, Youngest World

tennisconnected.com

France TV sees 6.5m peak audience for men’s French Open finals - Sportcal

An average audience of 4.8 million watched Novak Djokovic beat Casper Ruud to reach a record 23 grand slam titles.

www.sportcal.com

Men's final got higher ratings than last year. Djokovic/Alcaraz were on strong Tennis Channel. #2 most watched match ever.

 

[insideguy]

Djokovic-Alcaraz French Open Semifinal is Tennis Channel’s second-most Watched Match Ever

DJOKOVIC-ALCARAZ FRENCH OPEN SEMIFINAL IS TENNIS CHANNEL’S SECOND-MOST WATCHED MATCH EVER Network’s Coverage of Clash Between All-Time Great, Youngest World

tennisconnected.com

Djokovic-Alcaraz French Open Semifinal is Tennis Channel’s second-most Watched Match Ever

DJOKOVIC-ALCARAZ FRENCH OPEN SEMIFINAL IS TENNIS CHANNEL’S SECOND-MOST WATCHED MATCH EVER Network’s Coverage of Clash Between All-Time Great, Youngest World

tennisconnected.com

Men's final got higher ratings than last year. Djokovic/Alcaraz were strong Tennis Channel. #2 watched match ever.

To me and no offense its like comparing an soft boiled egg to a hard boiled egg. They are both eggs. More people watch a Sunday night regular season baseball game.

 

[NoleFam]

To me and no offense its like comparing an soft boiled egg to a hard boiled egg. They are both eggs. More people watch a Sunday night regular season baseball game.

I was mostly talking about France ratings which are always much higher than the US.

 

[Curtennis]

I don’t know how they calculate it but I certainly didn’t turn on a cable box to the NBC Channel to watch it. Signed up for a free trial to Fubo App and watched on that.

 

[Technology Ruined Tennis]

RG is by far the least popular slam in the US. NBC airing nothing during the week won't change its status going forward.

 

[insideguy]

RG is by far the least popular slam in the US. NBC airing nothing during the week won't change its status going forward.

Aussie open is maybe worse. I would have to look. But that is more of a time zone thing.

 

[insideguy]

I was mostly talking about France ratings which are always much higher than the US.

Well hell I would hope so.

 

[NoleFam]

Well hell I would hope so.

Lol. Tbh, 2021 was the last year the ratings for a final were decent with close to 2 million but that was a close match.

 

[TheNachoMan]

Djokovic got more views than Nadal? But I was told that Nadal is a much bigger draw..

 

[insideguy]

Djokovic got more views than Nadal? But I was told that Nadal is a much bigger draw.

In the USA. Ha we watch anyone in th final

 

[NoleFam]

What are the comparisons to the viewership from 2006-2014?

In the US

2006
2.395 mil

2007
2.424 mil

2008
2.021 mil

2009
2.213 mil

2010
1.865 mil

2011
3.125 mil

2012
2.88 mil

2013
2.0 mil

2014
2.5 mil

2015
1.9 mil

2016
2.0 mil

2017
1.58 mil

2018
1.62 mil

 

[insideguy]

In the US

2006
2.395 mil

2007
2.424 mil

2008
2.021 mil

2009
2.213 mil

2010
1.865 mil

2011
3.125 mil

2012
2.88 mil

2013
2.0 mil

2014
2.5 mil

2015
1.9 mil

2016
2.0 mil

2017
1.58 mil

2018
1.62 mil

In other words.Not good.

 

[Robert F]

Pat McEnroe has commented a few times on his Podcast the fact that ESPN is bailing on tennis due to poor ratings. He agrees with all the viewers frustration on how tennis is being covered in the USA, but says if you don't want to pay extra for TC2, ESPN plus etc. we need to get more people watching the main channels and it just isn't happening.

Writing is on the wall.

 

[NoleFam]

In other words.Not good.

More or less...

 

[onehandbh]

More people may be watching online. In general, compared to other sports like basketball, tennis just isn't that popular in the U.S. -- especially with kids.

 

[insideguy]

More people may be watching online. In general, compared to other sports like basketball, tennis just isn't that popular in the U.S. -- especially with kids.

I mean comparing it with basketball is being very generous. You probably should compare it with like sponge bob.

 

[onehandbh]

I mean comparing it with basketball is being very generous. You probably should compare it with like sponge bob.

We Bare Bears is better.

My family may or may not have attempted to do the bare stack IRL...

 

[weakera]

How did a slam record attempt do only 5% better? That seems impossible? For example the Australian Open Final this year was down 36% from last year.

What gives? Could it be Nadal vs Djokovic appeal?

 

[weakera]

In the US

2006
2.395 mil

2007
2.424 mil

2008
2.021 mil

2009
2.213 mil

2010
1.865 mil

2011
3.125 mil

2012
2.88 mil

2013
2.0 mil

2014
2.5 mil

2015
1.9 mil

2016
2.0 mil

2017
1.58 mil

2018
1.62 mil

Not good is a pretty kind way of putting it. They lost to Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars, Hannity, and MLB Sunday Night.

Tennis is a niche sport.

 

[Mike Sams]

That's strange, I thought Nadal was massively more popular than Djokovic in the US?

Nobody wants to see Nadal bury Casper Ruud. If it had been Nadal vs Federer or Djokovic, ratings would've been higher.

 

[Mike Sams]

How did a slam record attempt do only 5% better? That seems impossible? For example the Australian Open Final this year was down 36% from last year.

What gives? Could it be Nadal vs Djokovic appeal?

The ratings are just further proof that the big 3 mean eff all to the sport of tennis. Them being gone won't make a dent to the sport.

 

[Mike Sams]

Not good is a pretty kind way of putting it. They lost to Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars, Hannity, and MLB Sunday Night.

Tennis is a niche sport.

Viewership for Sampras/Agassi at US Open in 1990 and 2002 did monstrous ratings. The Americans want to see American players.

 

[Milanez82]

I mean comparing it with basketball is being very generous. You probably should compare it with like sponge bob.

Not sure basketball is all that impressive considering its appeal, numbers are in and finals averaged about 11 million plus, kind of poor if you consider most teams have sold out arenas and huge fanbases.

 

[MichaelNadal]

In the US

2006
2.395 mil

2007
2.424 mil

2008
2.021 mil

2009
2.213 mil

2010
1.865 mil

2011
3.125 mil

2012
2.88 mil

2013
2.0 mil

2014
2.5 mil

2015
1.9 mil

2016
2.0 mil

2017
1.58 mil

2018
1.62 mil

2011 final GOATED

 

[weakera]

Not sure basketball is all that impressive considering its appeal, numbers are in and finals averaged about 11 million plus, kind of poor if you consider most teams have sold out arenas and huge fanbases.

11 million is fine for Denver-Miami. Lakers Warriors was the most watched semis in history.

 

[LaVie en Rose]

Djokovic-Alcaraz French Open Semifinal is Tennis Channel’s second-most Watched Match Ever

DJOKOVIC-ALCARAZ FRENCH OPEN SEMIFINAL IS TENNIS CHANNEL’S SECOND-MOST WATCHED MATCH EVER Network’s Coverage of Clash Between All-Time Great, Youngest World

tennisconnected.com

France TV sees 6.5m peak audience for men’s French Open finals - Sportcal

An average audience of 4.8 million watched Novak Djokovic beat Casper Ruud to reach a record 23 grand slam titles.

www.sportcal.com

Men's final got higher ratings than last year. Djokovic/Alcaraz were on strong Tennis Channel. #2 most watched match ever.

Surprising weakera nadal expert bot didn't opened thread already He was twisting&spinning AO23 for days, has complained about many empty seats in both F (scaninng for few empty corporate seats before first changeover ) . Oh wait , busy with basketball on tennis forum envying , bringing down guy from Serbia who won NBA ring but pitting Djokovic tennis earnings against his- NBA star, to prove how Djokovic is not popular

 

[ibbi]

I'm surprised the Coco final didn't do a lot better.

 

[NoleFam]

Not good is a pretty kind way of putting it. They lost to Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars, Hannity, and MLB Sunday Night.

Tennis is a niche sport.

Even the Williams sisters could only pull 3.5 million at their peak in 2002 at RG. Part of it back then maybe was that it wasn't showed live and instead on a delay. Even so, Americans seem much more interested in Wimbledon and the USO than RG.

Ratings have declined badly in America because there are no top male American players to cheer for. Back in Sampras/Agassi days, the overall ratings in America were much higher. The big 3 are great, but they are never pulling those kinds of numbers.

 

[No_Kwan_Do]

Even with an "American star" like Gauff in a final, the US TV ratings weren't much better last year than they were this year. It shows how few people actually know or care about who she is over there, and trying to hype her up as the next Serena hasn't had a positive effect.

 

[NoleFam]

Surprising weakera nadal expert bot didn't opened thread already He was twisting&spinning AO23 for days, has complained about many empty seats in both F (scaninng for few empty corporate seats before first changeover ) . Oh wait , busy with basketball on tennis forum envying , bringing down guy from Serbia who won NBA ring but pitting Djokovic tennis earnings against his- NBA star, to prove how Djokovic is not popular

We'll just overlook it today. Lol.

 

[insideguy]

Not sure basketball is all that impressive considering its appeal, numbers are in and finals averaged about 11 million plus, kind of poor if you consider most teams have sold out arenas and huge fanbases.

Ya you have to remember you are talking about over 10 million for multiple multiple games in the playoffs. Not just final game.

 

[heavyD]

How many people are waking up early Sunday morning to watch sports? Someone above mentioned that the Sunday night baseball game gets better ratings which should come of no surprise seeing TV viewership is always higher in the evenings. The US Open is really the only tournament you should be looking at when discussing North American viewership and that tournament gets pretty solid viewership throughout. You aren't going to get a massive audience late at night for the AO or early morning for FO and Wimbledon.

 

[insideguy]

How many people are waking up early Sunday morning to watch sports? Someone above mentioned that the Sunday night baseball game gets better ratings which should come of no surprise seeing TV viewership is always higher in the evenings. The US Open is really the only tournament you should be looking at when discussing North American viewership and that tournament gets pretty solid viewership throughout. You aren't going to get a massive audience late at night for the AO or early morning for FO and Wimbledon.

US open ratings suck to.

 

[Robert F]

How many people are waking up early Sunday morning to watch sports? Someone above mentioned that the Sunday night baseball game gets better ratings which should come of no surprise seeing TV viewership is always higher in the evenings. The US Open is really the only tournament you should be looking at when discussing North American viewership and that tournament gets pretty solid viewership throughout. You aren't going to get a massive audience late at night for the AO or early morning for FO and Wimbledon.

Certainly a factor, but there is a hope our sport can grow. You would hope there would be enough interest that Americans would be willing to skip Church or wake up to watch the final of a Slam, also a slam where the male Slam record was going to be surpassed.

Tennis is on the decline in the US.
People's attention spans are decline especially in the US.
Novak unfortunately has not been as loved in the US as Fed and Nadal, and I think that is because the main tennis fans already chose Fed or Nadal and stayed loyal then jump to Djoker.

How do we bring ratings up?
New rivalary?
Shortened format? (I hate suggesting that)
Make Europe/Aus play finals later for the US?? But I hope Europe is still strong market and wouldn't want to ruin that.

 

[pj80]

Surprising weakera nadal expert bot didn't opened thread already He was twisting&spinning AO23 for days, has complained about many empty seats in both F (scaninng for few empty corporate seats before first changeover ) . Oh wait , busy with basketball on tennis forum envying , bringing down guy from Serbia who won NBA ring but pitting Djokovic tennis earnings against his- NBA star, to prove how Djokovic is not popular

weakera is the Ben Rottenburg of tt tennis...