ESPN has reported its best first quarter in five years, with total-day viewership up 32% compared to the same period last year for an average of 821,000 viewers.
The Disney-owned sports network recorded a 40% increase in prime-time viewership in Q1 2022 for an average of 2 million viewers. ESPN is the top prime-time cable network among viewers 18-49, up 111% compared to its closest competitor.
ESPN is poised to add more viewers this summer, having secured a four-year rights deal with the Premier Lacrosse League in late March. The PLL’s fourth season will begin on June 4.
The network also hired Troy Aikman and Joe Buck from rival Fox Sports, adding the duo to its “Monday Night Football” broadcast after they spent 20 years as Fox’s No. 1 broadcast team.
![[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] April 13, 2025; Sakhir, BAHRAIN; Oscar Piastri leads George Russell into the first corner at the start of the race during the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit.](https://frontofficesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/USATSI_25925940_168416386_lowres-scaled.jpg?quality=100&w=1024)
