Viewership of MLS games on ESPN during the 2016 regular season increased by 25% compared to 2015, according to research conducted by Sports TV Ratings and World Soccer Talk.
ESPN averaged 307,845 viewers per game (combining ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes) compared to 244,970 in 2015.
MLS definitely benefitted from ESPN, FOX Sports and Univision making a conscious effort to feature MLS games more prominently. ESPN featured almost every single MLS game on its flagship network instead of ESPN2 where MLS games were prominently featured in previous years.
On top of that, ESPN scheduled five games for time slots adjacent to its mid-summer coverage of Euro 2016, which helped give MLS games a slight bump in viewing figures during June and early July.
Here are the TV viewing numbers for 2016 MLS regular season games featured on ESPN:
| Date | Home | Away | TV1 | TV2 | TV1 Viewing # | TV2 Viewing # | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03/06/16 | Portland Timbers | Columbus Crew | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 362,000 | 72,000 | 434,000 |
| 03/13/16 | New York City FC | Toronto FC | ESPN2 | ESPN Deportes | 197,000 | 44,633 | 241,633 |
| 03/20/16 | DC United | Colorado Rapids | ESPN2 | ESPN Deportes | 179,000 | 44,633 | 223,633 |
| 04/10/16 | Houston Dynamo | Seattle Sounders | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 386,000 | 44,633 | 430,633 |
| 04/17/16 | Orlando City SC | New England Revolution | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 229,000 | 44,633 | 273,633 |
| 04/24/16 | San Jose Earthquakes | Sporting Kansas City | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 180,000 | 44,633 | 224,633 |
| 05/01/16 | Portland Timbers | Toronto FC | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 302,000 | 44,633 | 346,633 |
| 05/08/16 | Los Angeles Galaxy | New England Revolution | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 225,000 | 44,633 | 269,633 |
| 05/15/16 | Sporting Kansas City | Orlando City SC | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 224,000 | 44,633 | 268,633 |
| 05/22/16 | Portland Timbers | Vancouver Whitecaps | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 463,000 | 44,633 | 507,633 |
| 05/29/16 | New York City FC | Orlando City SC | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 316,000 | 44,633 | 360,633 |
| 06/19/16 | Sporting Kansas City | FC Dallas | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 363,000 | 44,633 | 407,633 |
| 06/25/16 | Seattle Sounders | New York City FC | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 616,000 | 44,633 | 660,633 |
| 06/26/16 | Portland Timbers | Houston Dynamo | ESPN2 | ESPN Deportes | 207,000 | 44,633 | 251,633 |
| 07/03/16 | New York City FC | New York Red Bulls | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 439,000 | 44,633 | 483,633 |
| 07/09/16 | Seattle Sounders | Los Angeles Galaxy | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 536,000 | 44,633 | 580,633 |
| 07/10/16 | New York Red Bulls | Portland Timers | ESPN2 | ESPN Deportes | 223,000 | 44,633 | 267,633 |
| 07/17/16 | Montreal Impact | New York City FC | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 322,000 | 44,633 | 366,633 |
| 07/23/16 | Portland Timbers | Los Angeles Galaxy | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 329,000 | 44,633 | 373,633 |
| 07/24/16 | Sporting Kansas City | Seattle Sounders | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 265,000 | 44,633 | 309,633 |
| 07/31/16 | Seattle Sounders | Los Angeles Galaxy | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 328,000 | — | 328,000 |
| 08/07/16 | Seattle Sounders | Los Angeles Galaxy | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 184,000 | — | 184,000 |
| 08/20/16 | New York City FC | Los Angeles Galaxy | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 219,000 | — | 219,000 |
| 08/21/16 | DC United | New York Red Bulls | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 220,000 | — | 220,000 |
| 08/28/16 | New York Red Bulls | New England Revolution | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 186,000 | — | 186,000 |
| 08/28/16 | Portland Timbers | Seattle Sounders | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 253,000 | — | 253,000 |
| 09/11/16 | New York Red Bulls | DC United | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 238,000 | — | 238,000 |
| 09/25/16 | Los Angeles Galaxy | Seattle Sounders | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 240,000 | — | 240,000 |
| 10/02/16 | Orlando City SC | Montreal Impact | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 220,000 | — | 220,000 |
| 10/16/16 | Montreal Impact | Toronto FC | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 161,000 | — | 161,000 |
| 10/16/16 | Portland Timbers | Colorado Rapids | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 178,000 | — | 178,000 |
| 10/23/16 | Seattle Sounders | Real Salt Lake | ESPN | ESPN Deportes | 141,000 | — | 141,000 |
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