2026 tournament viewership on ESPN, ESPN2 and the ESPN App up 29% year-over-year

Most-viewed men’s championship in nine years

ESPN’s coverage of the 2026 Australian Open across ESPN, ESPN2 and the ESPN App delivered strong year-over-year growth, ranking as the most-viewed Australian Open on ESPN since 2020.

Viewership for the 15-day tournament was up 29% YoY across ESPN, ESPN2 and the ESPN App.

All key demos experienced year-over-year growth, including women (+23%) and young adults 18-34 (+61%).

Championship weekend highlights

The men’s and women’s championships on ESPN drew a 34% YoY increase, marking the most-viewed Australian Open championships since 2017.

The men’s championship, featuring No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz defeating No. 4 Novak Djokovic in four sets, delivered 730K viewers and was up 57% YoY, ranking as most-viewed since 2017.

The women’s championship, which saw No. 5 Elena Rybakina defeat No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, delivered 487K viewers, increasing 8% YoY and ranking as the most-viewed since 2020.

Semifinals deliver strong growth

The semifinals across ESPN, ESPN2 and the ESPN App were up 53% YoY, making it the most-viewed Australian Open semifinals since 2017. The Carlos Alcaraz/Alexander Zverev 5-set thriller match averaged 743K viewers and ranking as the second most-viewed men’s semifinal since 2014.

Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel