The first career meeting of LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama was the top live sporting event of Friday, December 15.
Friday’s Lakers-Spurs NBA regular season game averaged 1.46 million viewers on ESPN, up 6% from Lakers-Sixers on the equivalent night of last season (1.38M) and the most-watched sporting event of the day. The Knicks-Suns nightcap chipped in 1.28 million, down 15% from Bucks-Mavericks a year ago (1.50M).
The Spurs’ upset win, which snapped the team’s 18-game losing streak, was no match for the first meeting between James and #1 pick Zion Williamson in 2020. That game, a February matchup on TNT, averaged 2.24 million. (A second meeting between James and Williamson days later averaged 2.69 million on ESPN.)
Shifting to the college game, UConn-Gonzaga averaged 557,000 viewers on ESPN2. There was no comparable window last year. The game aired immediately following the Albany-South Dakota State FCS football semifinal, which averaged 476,000 — down a sharp 55% from Incarnate Word-North Dakota State last year (1.05M).
Over on ESPNU, the North Central (Ill.)-Cortland Stagg Bowl (D-III Championship) averaged 222,000 viewers — up 8% from Mount Union-North Central last year (206K).
Rounding out the live sports slate, a Tottenham-Nottingham English Premier League match drew 281,000 on USA Network and Golf Channel scored 179,000 for coverage of golf’s Father-Son Pro-Am, featuring Tiger Woods and his son Charlie.
Friday, December 15 sports ratings
Updated chart:
Original chart (with WWE Smackdown) below: