A general view of Rod Laver Arena during the match between Novak Djokovic (SRB) and David Ferrer (ESP) on Day 10 of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. GEPA/USA TODAY Sports

ESPN draws disappointing viewership for Australian Open

Originally posted on Front Office Sports
By Michael McCarthy | Last updated 2/3/23

ESPN rang up disappointing TV numbers for the Australian Open.

The venerable tournament is the first of tennis’ four Grand Slams. Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka emerged as the respective men’s and women’s singles winners Down Under this year.

But the absence of telegenic superstars like Serena Williams, who last August announced she would retire following the 2022 U.S. Open. One month later, Roger Federer announced his retirement. It is the first season without both of them since 1999. The early ouster of 2022 men’s champion Rafael Nadal also hurt U.S. viewership this year.

The Australian Open broke its single-day attendance record with 94,854 fans.

The entire tournament has experienced an unexpectedly quick rebound in visitors as it recovers from COVID.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) January 30, 2023

Djokovic’s win over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Men’s Final averaged 439,000 viewers. That was down 36 percent from Nadal’s win last year. It was the least-watched Men’s Final in a decade.
Sabalenka’s victory over Elena Rybakina in the Women’s Final averaged 379,000 viewers. That was down 21 percent from last year’s Women’s Final.
Combining live telecasts, re-airs, and encores, the 2023 Australian Open averaged 274K viewers. That’s down seven percent.
But ESPN’s telecasts also averaged 73,000 viewers among viewers in the advertiser-coveted 18-49-year-old category. That was up four percent from last year’s tournament.

This article first appeared on Front Office Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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