Federer-Djokovic Classic Gets ESPN Highest Wimbledon Final Ratings in Seven Years

If it seemed like more people were keying in on Roger Federer vs. Novak Djokovic than you have observed for a Wimbledon final in quite some time, that’s because it’s precisely the case. Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal notes:

ESPN drew a 2.6 overnight rating for the Sunday Wimbledon window that included Novak Djokovic's win over Roger Federer. That is the best figure for the men's final since Federer beat Andy Murray in 2012 (3.1 overnight)
— Austin Karp (@AustinKarp) July 15, 2019

There are a number of factors in this. It’s two huge names, though it should be noted that Federer and Djokovic also played each other during the 2014 and 2015 Wimbledon championship. This was a five-set match that went deep into the fifth with a tiebreak at 12-12, and it was the first five-set finals since the two’s match in 2014.

Because these ratings are calculated by average viewership, it would not be too crazy a guess to believe that as the fifth set grew more and more dramatic, various text messages and social alerts led more eyeballs to catch the conclusion on television.