Little League World Series Delivers Double-Digit Audience Growth for ESPN & ABC

ESPN’s Little League World Series telecasts (21 total) averaged 1,110,000 viewers (P2+), 877,000 household impressions and a 0.9 rating to register the network’s largest audience for the event since 2003 (1,150,000 viewers, 873,000 households and a 1.0 rating).  Additionally, ESPN2’s 16 telecasts averaged 974,000 viewers, 747,000 households and a 0.9 rating to become the network’s most viewed and highest rated Little League World Series since 2002 (1,217,000 viewers, 880,000 households and a 1.1 rating).

Additional ESPN and ESPN2 ratings information:

• ESPN’s 1,110,000 viewers were up 54 percent when compared to 722,000 viewers last year (20 telecasts) and 21 percent over 2007 (918,000 viewers; 21 telecasts);
• ESPN’s 0.9 rating was up 50 percent over last year’s 0.6 rating and 13 percent versus 2007 (0.8 rating);
• ESPN’s 877,000 households were up 51 percent over last year’s 582,000 households and 19 percent when compared to 2007 (736,000 households);
• ESPN’s telecast of the U.S. Semifinal between Warner Robins, Ga., and Chula Vista, Calif., garnered 2,629,000 viewers, 1,841,000 households and a 1.9 rating to become the network’s highest rated and most viewed Little League World Series game since 2002 (U.S. Semifinal – Worcester, Mass., vs. Harlem, N.Y. – 3,297,000 viewers, 2,556,000 households and a 3.0 rating);
• ESPN2’s 974,000 viewers were up 80 percent when compared to last year (542,000 viewers; 15 telecasts) and 34 percent over 2007 (726,000 viewers; 12 telecasts);
• ESPN2’s 747,000 households were an increase of 75 percent over 2008 (427,000 households) and up 29 percent when compared to 2007 (578,000 households);
• ESPN2’s 0.8 rating was up 60 percent over last year’s 0.5 rating and 33 percent over 2007 (0.6 rating).

ABC’s four Little League World Series broadcasts averaged 2,210,000 viewers, an increase of 28 percent over 1,727,000 viewers last year (five broadcasts).  The corresponding rating was up 25 percent (1.5 vs. 1.2) and households were up 24 percent (1,662,000 vs. 1,327,000).  The championship game between Chula Vista, Calif., and Chinese Taipei (Sunday, Aug. 30) averaged 3,872,000 viewers, up 19 percent over last year’s final (3,256,000 viewers).  The corresponding households were up 16 percent (2,741,000 vs. 2,354,000) and rating was up 14 percent (2.4 vs. 2.1).

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