U.S. Open serves ESPN largest opening-day audience ever

By Field Level Media

Sep 02 (Field Level Media) – ESPN’s coverage of Sunday’s ​first-round action at ‌the U.S. Open averaged 914,000 viewers with a peak of 1.3 million across ESPN, ‌ESPN2 ​and ABC, ⁠marking the tournament’s ⁠largest opening-day audience in the network’s history.

Viewership was up 13% from last year ​on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. ABC averaged ⁠1.25 million ⁠viewers, up 7% from ​last year. Of note, ​opening day in 2025 was ‌shown on ABC and ESPN2.

Unseeded Mariano Navone’s upset of No. 4 seed ⁠and four-time U.S. Open champion Novak Djokovic was shown in ⁠primetime ‌on ESPN. The ⁠four-hour, 36-minute match averaged ​958,000 ‌viewers, up 10% ​from last ⁠year, and peaked at an average of 1.3 million viewers from 9:45 to 10 p.m. ET.

(–Field ​Level Media)