In Second Year, FOX Sports 1 Making Progress On Catching ESPN – Forbes

UPDATED: 3:40pm ET – Additional clarity added in tables to show viewership numbers for year 2 of each network

As the cliché goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. For 24/7/365 sports channel FOX FOX Sports 1, the climb to catch Walt Disney Walt Disney-owned ESPN ESPN won’t be either, but there are clear signs there is progress being made.

FOX Sports 1 launched in August of 2013 with just a handful of programming options. UFC, NASCAR Trucks, Pac-12 and Big12 college football and Big East college basketball were the slate on top of studio programming. Trying to go at ESPN with just those offerings was said to be like a restaurant opening with only a portion of its menu available.

In FS1’s second year they added regular and postseason Major League Baseball, the NASCAR Xfinity series and three Sprint Cup races, Gold Cup soccer, Women’s World Cup and USGA events including the US Open to the schedule. In doing so, the total total number of sporting events being aired by FS1 rose 17 percent, going from 664 in Year 1 to 779 in Year 2.

That has helped FOX Sports 1 grow in the ratings. FS1 saw an increase 40 percent on total day viewership and 38 percent increase in prime prime time during the span.  Over the same span, the competition dropped. ESPN was down 9 percent for total day, and down 2 percent in prime time viewership, ESPN2  was down -3%/-12% while, NBCSN  came in at -19%/+2%.

For live programming, the results are more impressive. FS1 is up 54 percent over the same span (494,000 viewers vs. 390,000 viewers), and has surpassed ESPN2 and NBCSN to become the clear #2 network for live events behind The Worldwide Leader.

To add, FOX Sports 1’s reach, which is people watching at any point over the last year, is up 11 percent or 9.2 million viewers in FS1’s second year (96 million total viewers vs. 86.8 million).  Meanwhile ESPN’s reach is down 8.9 million (down 5 percent), ESPN2 is down 8.7 million (-6%), and NBCSN is down 6.1 million (-7%) when excluding the Olympics.

Below shows ESPN2 and NBCSN in Year 2 vs. FS1 in total day and primetime:

Total day viewership average in Year 2 of each network:

Prime time viewership average in Year 2 of each network:

There were some key moments in FS1’s second year that highlight its growth.