The Boston sports radio rivalry between 98.5 The Sports Hub and WEEI has become so one-sided that it might require a Mercy Rule to even the playing field. During the winter Nielsen Audio ratings period from January 4 to March 27, The Sports Hub dominated its competition, finishing first overall and across its three daytime programs, while placing second in the evenings among its main target demographic of men 25-54. Overall, The Sports Hub had a 15.6 share, while WEEI lagged far behind in 10th place with a 3.6 share. In the previous fall ratings period, The Sports Hub had a 16.3 share compared to WEEI’s seventh place finish with a 4.4 share.
Breaking down the ratings by day parts, The Sports Hub’s “Toucher and Hardy” claimed the top spot in morning drive (6-10 a.m.) with a 17.9 share. This period marked co-host Rob “Hardy” Poole’s official debut as Rich Shertenlieb’s replacement on Jan. 4. WEEI’s “Greg Hill Show” remained the only successful program at the station, finishing in second place with an 8.6 share. In the midday slot (10 a.m.-2 p.m.), The Sports Hub’s “Zolak and Bertrand” secured first place with a 15.4 share, leaving WEEI’s “Gresh and Fauria” far behind in eighth place with a 3.5 share.
The domination continued in the afternoon drive (2-6 p.m.) time slot, as “Felger and Massarotti” maintained their position as the most listened-to program on either station with a 19.8 share. WEEI’s “Jones and Mego” struggled, tying for 13th place with a 2.3 share. In the evening block (6-11 p.m.), The Sports Hub once again outperformed WEEI, securing second place with a 12.8 share. Notably, WEEI’s “The Rich Keefe Show” and nighttime programming tied for 15th place with a mere 1.8 share. Overall, The Sports Hub’s dominance in the ratings is undeniable, leaving WEEI in the dust.