The Worldwide Leader in Sports saw a significant dip in its lead on Tuesday.
SportsBusinessDaily.com reported that ESPN's averaged 1.3 million primetime viewers during the second quarter of 2013, which was a 32 percent decrease from the same quarter in 2012 and the lowest primetime audience in seven years.
The 32 percent drop also represented the biggest decline of any sports network.
SportsBusinessDaily.com attributed some of the losses to the difference in results of the NBA playoffs compared to results in 2012. The report said ESPN's 17 postseason basketball telecasts averaged four million viewers, 36 fewer than in 2012.
ESPN had the rights to the Eastern Conference finals in 2012, a seven-game series between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics. This year, ESPN broadcast the Western Conference finals between the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies. The Spurs earned a four-game sweep.
The report added that NBA TV also saw a 12 percent drop during its primetime programming from a year ago.
ESPN also saw the biggest drop in viewership on a total day basis, according to SportsBusinessDaily.com. Its average of 715,000 was down from an 892,000 average in the second quarter of 2012 and the fewest since 2007 when it had 690,000 total daily viewers.
ESPN2's ratings also dropped by 12 percent in prime time, according to the report, and nine percent in total average daily viewership.
NBC Sports Network enjoyed a 17 percent increase in primetime viewership and an 18 percent increase in total daily average viewership.
Two months ago, ESPN laid off hundreds of staff members, and Deadspin.com obtained a report from Goldman Sachs that downgraded ESPN parent company Disney stock form "conviction buy" to "neutral," blaming ESPN.
Fox Sports 1 is set to launch in August, which should bring more competition for ESPN.
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