ESPN experienced plenty of viewership success in 2023, and women’s sports played a big role.

ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro in the network’s 2023 year in review said elevating women’s sports helped drive overall viewership upwards.

“In a year where sports media continued to see unpredictable and constant upheaval, ESPN once again proved its brand strength is as vibrant as it is massive,” he said. “Overall viewership continues to climb, in part due to our focus on expanding our women’s sports coverage.”

Whether it was women’s college basketball, women’s college volleyball, pro women’s tennis or the WNBA, ESPN saw viewership growth.

The 2022-23 women’s college basketball season was the most watched regular season on ESPN networks since 2014-15. Women’s March Madness across the family of networks was the most-watched since 2009. The Women’s Final Four was the most-viewed Division I women’s semifinals on record averaging 6.5 million viewers. The national championship audience of 9.9 million on April 2, making it the most-viewed women’s hoops game ever.

The national championship for women’s volleyball between Texas and Nebraska averaged 1.7 million viewers on ABC, making it the most-watched college volleyball match ever. Over half the audience (51%) for the match was women.

In women’s college gymnastics, the NCAA championship meet was the most-watched college gymnastics telecast in 16 years.

In pro tennis, ESPN’s presentation of the U.S. Open women’s championship delivered 3.4 million and was the network’s most-viewed women’s major final ever.

Viewership for coverage of the Little League Softball World Series was also up big. The whole tournament averaged 340,000 viewers across ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2, with the championship game marking the network’s 2nd most-watched on record going back to 2001.

When it came to the WNBA, ESPN had its most-watched regular season in 2023 in seven years, averaging 440,000 viewers. The return of Brittney Griner in late June on ESPN was the most-watched WNBA regular season game on cable since 1999.

WNBA playoff coverage was also the network’s most-watched since 2007, averaging 470,000 viewers. WNBA Finals viewership was the network’s best in 20 years with an average of 728,000 viewers. Game 1 of that series between the New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces was the most-watched Game 1 ever. It drew 729,000 viewers and aired on ABC.

ESPN First Take host and podcast host Stephen A. Smith knows exactly how to get under the skin of the Dallas Cowboys fanbase. It’s why he wants to eventually go deep in the heart of Texas one day and record an episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show among his most arduous haters.

In an interview with USA Today, Smith said doing his podcast on location at AT&T Stadium on Cowboys gameday was something he aspired to do.

“One of my dreams is to do a show from the parking lot of AT&T Stadium during a tailgate party, before the game,” Smith said.

Stephen A. is arguably the biggest troll of Cowboys fans. His bombastic gloating celebratory videos after every Dallas defeat are guaranteed to instantly go viral and draw vitriol from Cowboys supporters.

Smith said he gets after Dallas fans because they annoy him to no end.

“Their fans are the disgusting, nauseating fanbase that gets on my last damn nerves,” he said.

But despite those feelings, Smith made it clear in an episode of his show from October that he doesn’t mean anything personal by it.

“If you played like garbage, I got to say you played bad,” Smith said. “But there’s a glee and a joy from this that I take from the Dallas Cowboys stinking up the joint, because Dallas Cowboys fans get on my last damn nerves

“But I say that in all seriousness out of fun,” he added. “It’s oxymoronic to use those two words in the same sentence, but it is applicable. As serious as I am, I’m just having fun. It’s sports…It’s all in fun. That’s what fandom is all about.”

Viewership of the penultimate broadcast of Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video last week was a bounce back compared to the week before.

The broadcast of Saints/Rams averaged 10.2 million viewers. That figure was up 23% compared to the Week 16 matchup from 2022.

The audience that tuned in for the game peaked at 11.67 million.

For the season, TNF is averaging 11.97 million viewers. Viewership this year is up 25% from 2022.

The final Thursday night game of the 2023 season this week features the Jets and Browns.