ESPN CHILTON SPORTS POLL GAUGES INTEREST IN U.S. OPEN

          In '96, '97 and '98, the ESPN Chilton Sports Poll asked
     sports fans age 12+ their interest in the tennis U.S. Open. 
     Each year, interest was polled two weeks prior to the event
     through two weeks after its conclusion.  The following are
     the percentages of sports fans that were not at all, a
     little, somewhat and very interested in the U.S. Open.

SPORTS FANS                    '96          '97         '98
                             n = 2,086    n = 1,306   n = 2,661
Not at all interested          58.5%        65.9%       68.1%  
A little interested            17.4%        15.0%       14.6%
Somewhat interested            16.2%        12.3%       11.2% 
Very interested                 7.9%         6.8%        6.1%
     
TENNIS FANS                    '96          '97          '98
                             n = 1,013    n =  524     n = 1,071
Not at all interested          30.4%        32.2%        35.2% 
A little interested            26.6%        24.8%        26.5%
Somewhat interested            27.2%        26.7%        23.5%
Very interested                15.9%        16.3%        14.8%
          
AVID TENNIS FANS               '96          '97          '98
                             n =  168     n =   82     n =   177
Not at all interested          13.2%        13.2%         7.9%
A little interested            12.8%        11.4%        12.1%
Somewhat interested            25.9%        16.7%        29.1%
Very interested                48.1%        58.7%        50.9%

































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