- ESPN networks capture 31% of all sports viewing despite World Cup and Winter Olympics competition
- Female viewership rises 14%, accounting for more than one-third of network audience
- Average monthly reach grows to 239.4 million users across linear, digital and social platforms
ESPN continued its momentum in fiscal year 2026, delivering a 10% year-over-year increase in total viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN on ABC and marking the sixth consecutive year of linear television growth. The gains came during a highly competitive sports media landscape that included the FIFA World Cup and Winter Olympics on competing networks.
Across FY26 (Sept. 28, 2025-Oct. 3, 2026), ESPN’s television networks accounted for 31% of all sports viewing among both total viewers and Adults 18-49. ESPN finished nine points ahead of second-place Fox Sports networks and 13 points ahead of NBCUniversal networks.
ESPN and ESPN on ABC each posted 11% year-over-year growth in total viewership, while ESPN2 increased 3%.
Growth was broad-based across audiences. Female viewership increased 14% year over year and represented 34% of all viewing across ESPN networks, up from 29% a decade ago. Viewership among children ages 2-17 also increased 14%.
Beyond television, ESPN’s average monthly reach expanded to 239.4 million users across its television, digital and social platforms. Digital and social audiences increased ESPN’s overall reach by 286% compared to television alone, extending its audience to nearly four times its TV footprint. Adults 18-49 accounted for 56% of ESPN’s total cross-platform reach.
Historic Performances Across ESPN’s Premier Sports Portfolio
College Football: The College Football Playoff National Championship (Miami-Indiana) averaged 28.9 million viewers, making it the most-viewed college football game in 11 years. ESPN networks also delivered their most-viewed regular season since 2011.
NFL: ESPN’s AFC Divisional Playoff game (Texans-Patriots) averaged 37.9 million viewers, the largest NFL audience in network history. Monday Night Football delivered its second most-viewed season of the ESPN era.
NBA: The 2026 NBA Playoffs were ESPN’s most-viewed postseason since acquiring NBA rights in 2002. The Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals became the league’s most-viewed Finals since 1998, with the decisive Game 5 averaging 24.5 million viewers.
NHL: The 2025-26 regular season and 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs both ranked as the most-viewed of ESPN’s current NHL rights agreement. The Golden Knights-Hurricanes Stanley Cup Final posted triple-digit year-over-year growth.
Men’s College Basketball: Both the regular season and Champ Week delivered multi-year audience highs.
Golf: Coverage of both the Masters Tournament and PGA Championship posted double-digit audience growth year over year.
Women’s Sports: Women’s college basketball achieved its highest regular-season audience in 17 years. The Women’s NCAA Tournament delivered ESPN’s second most-viewed tournament on record, while both the Women’s College World Series and WNBA Playoffs became the most-viewed in ESPN history.
ESPN’s Digital and Social Platforms Also Grew in FY26
- Digital: ESPN Digital averaged 21.8 million daily active users, up 1% year over year. The ESPN App led with 9.8 million daily active users, while the Fantasy App increased 5% to 3.4 million daily active users. NFL, NBA, college football and MLB generated the highest levels of engagement.
- Social: ESPN Social generated 7.5 billion engagements, maintaining its position as the No. 1 sports publisher on social media and finishing 71% ahead of second-place Bleacher Report.
Please note: FY26 Nielsen data is based on Big Data + Panel methodology. FY25 Nielsen data is a blend of Big Data + Panel and Panel Only to account for the change in measurement currency.
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Media contacts: andy.hall@espn.com and michael.skarka@espn.com