ESPN gets a rise out of MLS postseason

Ahead of Saturday’s game for all the marbles, ESPN announced that its audience for the 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs is up 38% entering this weekend’s MLS Cup Final. The seven playoff matches on ESPN and ESPN2 to date have averaged 343,000 viewers, according to Nielsen, to rank as the company’s most-viewed MLS Cup Playoffs since 2014. Viewership in the men 18-34 demo is up 61% with men 18-49 up 44%. The top 10 markets for 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs on ESPN networks: Columbus (1.6), Seattle-Tacoma (1.6), Atlanta (0.7), Dayton (0.5), Portland (0.4).

Meanwhile, ESPN will showcase the 2017 MLS Cup on ESPN Presented by Audi – pitting Toronto FC/Seattle Sounders on Saturday at 4p with a 30-minute pregame show live from BMO Field in Toronto. Adrian Healey, Taylor Twellman and Julie Stewart-Binks will handle microphone duties.

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