Friday, October 30, 2026

How Did Other Sports Broadcasts Fare On Super Bowl Sunday?

  • Rowdy final round of Phoenix Open still draws nearly 4 million viewers.
  • NBA’s Celtics-Grizzlies battle pulls 2.1 million.
The final round of the Phoenix Open drew impressive ratings.

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

As usual, the Super Bowl dominated TV on Sunday, drawing its second highest-audience ever. 

But other sports had the misfortune of playing on the same day as Fox Sports’ 7.5-hour pregame show — and its subsequent telecast of a classic battle between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.

Give these other leagues an “A” for effort. Their TV performance wasn’t bad, considering they were competing against a TV juggernaut. 

  • CBS Sports drew 3.672 million viewers for its final round of rowdy WM Phoenix Open coverage. Scottie Scheffler defended his title to reclaim the World No. 1 rating. It was the most-watched final round for a PGA Tour event, since last April’s RBC Heritage on CBS. The network’s audience peaked at 4.881 viewers.
  • ABC’s NBA coverage of the Boston Celtics vs. Memphis Grizzlies averaged 2.065 million viewers, per ShowBuzzDaily. That’s not bad, considering the game tipped off at 2 p.m. ET, directly opposite Fox’s Super Bowl pregame show.
  • ESPN’s telecast of the women’s college basketball game between LSU and South Carolina drew 1.466 million viewers. It was the most-watched women’s regular season college hoops game since 2010. That game also tipped off at 2 p.m. ET. 

A week before, South Carolina’s matchup against UConn was the fourth-most watched in that same span, gaining 1.087 million viewers.

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NFL’s International Games Surge As Pregame Show Ratings Slip

NFL Network has one more Sunday morning game this season.
American Conference Commissioner Tim Pernetti watches during the first round American Conference Tournament game between Memphis and Tulane in Birmingham, Ala, on March 11, 2026.

Why Private Equity Is Still Hesitant to Invest in College Sports

There’s “plenty of money for the taking,” says Tim Pernetti.

PGA Tour Fills Part of $6M Void Left by Good Good Split

The Good Good Championship was renamed the Austin Championship.
Oct 14, 2026; Birmingham, AL, USA; SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey speaks during the SEC Basketball Tipoff at Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook.
Exclusive

GOP Staffer Urged SEC to Support College Sports Bill Before Midterms

If the Democrats win the House, “you won’t see this bill… being considered.”
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

10/29/26 – Brewers Win World Series, Ernie Leaving ‘Inside the NBA,’ Saquon’s Polymarket Exit

0:00

Featured Today

Football - NFL - Houston Texans v Jacksonville Jaguars - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - October 18, 2026 The necklace of a Jacksonville Jaguars fan outside the stadium before the match

Die-Hard Sports Fandom Has Reached the Afterlife

Will fans pay $6,000 to memorialize their team loyalty?
October 20, 2026

Why Europe Is Pumping Out NBA Superstars

The NBA and NCAA have an increasingly European flavor.
October 15, 2026

College Flag Football Is Outgrowing Its DIY Era

Women have been building the college game themselves at the club level.
Oct 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas arrives at the arena before the Penguins host the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena
October 12, 2026

NHL’s New Wave of GMs Is Built Different

“I am in the prediction business,” Devils GM Sunny Mehta tells FOS.
Action Images/Peter Cziborra
October 9, 2026

Is Leicester City’s $264 Million Price Tag Too Rich for Hungry Investors?

After falling from grace, how much is a former top club worth?
Nadia DeMarinis/FOS

Brian Kelly Not Closing Door on Return to Coaching

Kelly tells FOS he’s willing to listen about a return to the sidelines.
Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick (10) watches his RBI double during the fifth inning of Game 3 of the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays Monday, Oct. 26, 2026 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
October 29, 2026

Why Fox Downplayed World Series Game 3 Ratings

A Brewers rout and the sports equinox drove viewership far lower.
October 29, 2026

Skydance Shakes Up CBS, TNT Sports C-Suites After Takeover

Skydance is beginning to remake CBS and TNT.
Sponsored

How the New York Yankees Stay Game-Ready with Sage Intacct

See how Sage Intacct helps the Yankees streamline finances and plan for the future.
October 28, 2026

McAfee Details FBI ‘GameDay’ Guidance After Kirk Shooting

He confirmed an FOS story that FBI protected him from assassination attempts.
Apr 3, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ernie Johnson looks on during a practice session ahead of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium.
October 28, 2026

Ernie Johnson Leaving ‘Inside the NBA’ After 37 Years

He’ll still be around for March Madness and other projects for TNT and CBS.
Sep 14, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Broadcaster Pat McAfee prior to a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium.
October 27, 2026

ESPN Stands by McAfee’s ‘Very Real and Valid’ Concerns

An ESPN spokeswoman says the network takes all threats very seriously.
October 27, 2026

Jerry Jones Says Cowboys Hiring Troy Aikman ‘Very Possible’

Jones and Aikman spoke on the field Monday night.