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[09/05/25 - 09:01 AM]
ESPN Networks Command Historic Viewership with Second Most-Watched Labor Day Weekend in at Least 30 Years
From Saturday, August 30 through Monday, September 1, fans consumed 16.8 billion minutes across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, up 25 percent year-over-year.
[via press release from ESPN]

ESPN Networks Command Historic Viewership with Second Most-Watched Labor Day Weekend in At Least 30 Years

· 16.8 billion minutes watched across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2

· Holiday weekend only surpassed by 2016's record high

· College football, US Open, college volleyball, MLB and F1 drive multi-sport success

ESPN networks scored a historic start to the fall sports season, delivering the second most-watched Labor Day Weekend in at least 30 years (records date back to 1995) and ESPN's most-watched Labor Day Weekend since 2016. From Saturday, Aug. 30 through Monday, Sept. 1, fans consumed 16.8 billion minutes across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, up 25 percent year-over-year.

The stacked holiday slate featured standout performances across multiple properties, with several reaching all-time or multi-year highs based on average minute audience, including:

· College Football: ESPN networks posted their most-watched Kickoff Weekend on record, averaging 4.1 million viewers across 15 games, up 31 percent year-over-year. For the first time ever in a regular season weekend, three games on ABC surpassed 10 million viewers. More details.

· College GameDay: The premier college football pregame show delivered its most-watched episode ever, averaging 4.0 million viewers as fans tuned in for Lee Corso's final show: More details.

· US Open Tennis: ESPN's coverage continued to surge, with ABC's Round of 16 averaging 2.2 million viewers, the most-watched Round of 16 telecast since 2015. The Third Round was up 15 percent year-over-year and drawing its best audience since 2022.

· College Volleyball: ESPN Events' inaugural Broadway Block Party set a milestone with ESPN networks' most-watched regular season college volleyball match ever, as Nebraska vs. Kentucky averaged 1.2 million viewers on ABC.

· Sunday Night Baseball: The Braves/Phillies matchup drew 1.9 million viewers, up 28 percent against last season's Sunday Night Baseball average.

· SportsCenter: SportsCenter was up 8 percent from 2024, across 11 live episodes. Saturday morning's show - which features live interviews with on-air ESPN personalities at the biggest college football games in the country - averaged 942,000 viewers, while SportsCenter with SVP on Monday night following TCU-UNC registered 1.2 million viewers.

· F1: Sunday's Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix averaged 1.2 million viewers, the largest audience ever for the event. Viewership peaked at 1.3 million between 10:30-10:45 a.m. ET as Oscar Piastri drove to victory.

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  [september 2025]  
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· SATURDAY NIGHT COLLEGE FOOTBALL (ABC)
· SUNDAY NIGHT BASEBALL (NBC)




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