- Get Up, The Pat McAfee Show, NBA Today and 6 p.m. SportsCenter deliver best Septembers ever
- NFL Live and PTI post their best September audiences in a decade; new Big Day with Peter Schrager and Bussin’ & Pate on Campus start strong
- Younger viewers boost viewership for 10 shows
ESPN’s studio lineup continued its year-long viewership momentum in September, with multiple shows delivering record audiences and two new programs making strong debuts as football, MLB and WNBA playoff races and the US Open fueled sports conversation throughout the month.
Across ESPN’s studio programming, average September viewership increased 7% year over year, continuing the strong audience trends seen throughout 2026. And multiple ESPN studio shows saw record September audiences among younger viewers as well.
Four programs posted their best September audiences ever. The 6 p.m. ET edition of SportsCenter averaged 640,000 viewers, up 18% year over year, while Get Up averaged 461,000, edging its previous 2025 record. The Pat McAfee Show delivered its best September audience with 464,000 viewers across linear and digital, up 4%, and NBA Today set a September high with 329,000 viewers, up 20%.
Meanwhile, NFL Live and PTI delivered their strongest September audiences in more than a decade, and ESPN’s two new weekday studio programs, Big Day with Peter Schrager and Bussin’ & Pate on Campus, each averaged 317,000 viewers during their first month. First Take averaged 500K viewers in September, leading the ESPN morning/early afternoon block.
Younger viewers also were tuning in during September, with 10 shows delivering YOY gains in the Persons ages 18-49 (P18-49) demographic. Among the shows were NBA Today (+45%), Big Day (+30%), NFL Live and the 5 p.m. SportsCenter (+20%) and The Pat McAfee Show (+14%). In its three episodes aired in September, Bussin & Pate was up 65% YOY in P18-49.
Record September Performances
- Get Up (8 a.m. ET, Monday-Friday): Averaged 461,000 viewers, edging 2025 for its best September ever. It was the show’s 15th consecutive month of YOY growth.
- The Pat McAfee Show (noon, Monday-Friday): Averaged 464,000 viewers across linear and digital, up 4% YOY and its best September ever.
- NBA Today (3 p.m., Monday-Friday): Averaged 329,000 viewers, surpassing its previous September high set in 2023, and up 20% YOY.
- 6 p.m. SportsCenter: Averaged 640,000 viewers, up 18% YOY and its best September ever.
PTI, NFL Live Deliver Best September Audiences in a Decade
- NFL Live (4 p.m., Monday-Friday): Averaged 472,000 viewers, up 8% YOY for its strongest September since 2016.
- Pardon the Interruption (5:30 p.m., Monday-Friday): Averaged 794,000 viewers, up 18% YOY for its strongest September since 2015.
New Shows Start Strong
Two new weekday programs launched in September with encouraging early audiences.
- Big Day with Peter Schrager, which debuted Sept. 10 and airs Monday through Thursday at 2 p.m., averaged 317,000 viewers for the three weeks it aired during its first month. The show, which was up 18% over the same time period last year, grew to an average of 351,000 viewers in the fourth week of September.
- Bussin’ & Pate on Campus, airing Fridays at 2 p.m. during the college football season, also averaged 317,000 viewers for its three episodes in September, up 26% over the same time period last year, and reached a monthly high of 335,000 during its third week.
5 p.m., 6 p.m. SportsCenter editions drive record September viewership
SportsCenter viewership increased 13% compared with September 2025, with the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. editions posting double-digit gains. Across all editions, the signature news and information program averaged 435K viewers. Editions that were up YOY in September:
- 5 p.m.: 526,000 viewers, up 17% YOY
- 6 p.m.: 640,000 viewers, up 18% YOY
- Saturday morning: 482,000 viewers, up 5% YOY
- Sunday morning: 533,000 viewers, up 7% YOY
- The 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and Saturday morning editions have now increased year over year in every month of 2026.
Please note: September 2026 is defined by Nielsen as Aug. 31-Sept. 27. All metrics are based on Nielsen Big Data + Panel and YouTube Analytics.
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