The ratings for "SportsCenter" declined immediately when Jemele Hill and Michael Smith took over the anchor desk for the 6:00 p.m. edition in February 2017. And now, roughly two months after the official cancellation of "SC6," ratings are back up.
In a press release about Stephen A. Smith's role for ESPN's NBA Finals coverage, the WorldWide Leader mentioned viewership for the 6:00 p.m. "SportsCenter" has increased compared to last year. Ratings for the time slot jumped four percent in March and soared nine percent in April.
"The 6 p.m. SportsCenter has focused on including breaking news as well as an emphasis on 'setting the table' for the night in sports," ESPN vice president of network content David Roberts said in the release, per Awful Announcing. "The response from viewers has been fantastic, as April's increases indicated an appetite for coverage of the biggest stories in sports."
Those facts make it difficult to argue "SC6's" shortcomings were primarily driven by outside forces, such as ESPN's falling subscriber base and the general decline in live TV viewership. After steady losses for one year, the 6:00 p.m. "SportsCenter" has rebounded. All it needed was a format reversal. Even though people consume news instantaneously on social media, it appears ESPN's audience still prefers a more traditional highlight show under the "SportsCenter" umbrella –– at least for 6:00 p.m.
The ratings uptick also shows that Smith and Hill, who never experienced ratings success in the time slot, failed to resonate with ESPN's viewership.
A similar story is currently unfolding with "Get Up," ESPN's pricey new morning show. Its ratings were down six percent last month in comparison to last year, causing "First Take" to suffer as well. While Mike Greenberg and Co. will rightfully receive more time, "SC6" should be used as a cautionary tale.
If ESPN wants to rebound in the mornings, its best bet might be to go back to the future.
