NFL Hall of Fame Game, USWNT’s Women’s World Cup Loss Draw Big Audiences: The Week in Sports Ratings

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NASCAR, baseball pull in strong viewership

Cleveland Browns quarterback Kellen Mond (7) is sacked by New York Jets defensive lineman Bryce Huff (47) during the first quarter of the National Football League Hall of Fame preseason game between the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns on August 3, 2023, at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, OH.
The Aug. 3 NFL Hall of Fame Game between the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns drew almost 6 million viewers to NBC. (Image credit: Getty Images)

The National Football League’s annual Hall of Fame game scored the biggest audience for live sports events over the past week.

The August 3 New York Jets-Cleveland Browns NFL exhibition game on NBC drew 5.97 million viewers to easily top second-place USA Network’s August 6 telecast of the NASCAR Cup Series race, per Nielsen numbers published by Sports Media Watch.  

Including those who watched on NBC Sports Digital and Peacock streaming, the Hall of Fame game drew 6.3 million viewers, making it the most-watched telecast of the exhibition game since 2018, according to NBC Sports.

The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team’s disappointing loss to Sweden in the FIFA Women’s World Cup — which eliminated the Americans from the tournament — on August 6 drew 2.52 million viewers to finish third for the week.  Overall, Fox averaged 3.8 million viewers for its four USWNT Women’s World Cup games, up 2% from its four matches in 2019, according to Sports Media Watch. 

Also Read: Fox Sports Bullish on Building Women's World Cup Audience Over Final Rounds

NASCAR auto-racing events occupied three of the top 10 slots, while CBS’s coverage of the PGA Tour Wyndham Championship secured two top 10 finishes. 

Falling just outside of the top 10 was NBC's August 6 replay of Simone Biles’s performance at the U.S. Classic gymnastics competition, which drew 1.05 million viewers, well as ESPN's August 5 UFC Fight Night telecast, which drew 1.03 million viewers.

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Top-Rated Live Sports Events, July 31-August 6
Date EventNetworkViewership
August 3NFL Hall of Fame Game (Jets-Browns)NBC5.97 million
August 6NASCAR Cup Series RaceUSA2.60 million
August 6Women's World Cup -- US/SwedenFox 2.52 million
August 3Fox Thursday Night BaseballFox 2.02 million
August 6PGA Wyndham ChampionshipCBS1.67 million
August 5NASCAR Xfinity RaceNBC1.63 million
August 6ESPN Sunday Night BaseballESPN1.39 million
August 6NASCAR Cup Series Race (pre-show)USA1.36 million
July 31Women's World Cup (Portugal/USFox1.35 million
August 5PGA Wyndham ChampionshipCBS1.33 million
R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.