ESPN averaged 950,000 total-day viewers and 1.925 million viewers in primetime during Q3, down 10.8% and 11.9%, respectively, from the same period last year. The net still finished ninth among all cable networks in total-day audience and fifth in primetime during the quarter. ESPN2 also saw a double-digit percentage drop in total-day and primetime audience in Q3. Among sports networks, MLB Network saw the biggest year-over-year percentage gain, up 42.3% in total-day and 31.3% in primetime. NFL Network also saw double-digit percentage gains in Q3. NBA TV's audience is traditionally lower during Q3 due to the league being in its offseason. ESPN’s Patriots-Dolphins opening “MNF” telecast was the most-viewed cable TV broadcast of Q3 with 14.568 million viewers. The net’s Japan-U.S. FIFA Women’s World Cup Final on July 17 ranked third with 13.458 million viewers. The Sept. 9 Notre Dame-Michigan game on ESPN was the top college football audience in Q3 with 7.541 million viewers. The July 31 Brickyard 400 on ESPN was the only NASCAR Sprint Cup Series telecast to rank among the top 100 most-viewed cable TV shows during Q3 (6.377 million viewers). Listed below are the top 10 cable TV nets in total-day and primetime viewership during Q3, with comparisons to ’10, along with how sports networks performed during that same period.
| Q3 TOTAL-DAY VIEWERSHIP |
| NETWORK | '11 (000) | '10 (000) | % +/- |
| Nickelodeon | 2,166 | 2,281 | -5.0% |
| Disney Channel | 1,884 | 1,967 | -4.2% |
| USA | 1,424 | 1,362 | 4.6% |
| Adult Swim | 1,368 | 1,182 | 15.7% |
| Nick at Nite | 1,233 | 1,573 | -21.6% |
| Cartoon Network | 1,204 | 1,152 | 4.5% |
| TNT | 1,180 | 1,349 | -12.5% |
| Fox News | 1,081 | 1,022 | 5.8% |
| ESPN | 950 | 1,065 | -10.8% |
| History Channel | 916 | 868 | 5.5% |
| FX | 786 | 688 | 14.2% |
| ESPN2 | 315 | 351 | -10.3% |
| NFL Network | 160 | 133 | 20.3% |
| Speed | 120 | 121 | -0.8% |
| Golf Channel | 86 | 75 | 14.7% |
| Versus | 84 | 86 | -2.3% |
| MLB Network | 74 | 52 | 42.3% |
| ESPNews | 66 | 68 | -2.9% |
| Fox Soccer | 26 | 22 | 18.2% |
| NBA TV | 17 | n/a | n/a |
| Fuel TV | 11 | n/a | n/a |
| | | | |
| Q3 PRIMETIME VIEWERSHIP |
| NETWORK | '11 (000) | '10 (000) | % +/- |
| USA | 3,510 | 3,278 | 7.1% |
| Disney Channel | 2,683 | 2,823 | -5.0% |
| TNT | 2,512 | 2,570 | -2.3% |
| History Channel | 2,070 | 1,741 | 18.9% |
| ESPN | 1,925 | 2,186 | -11.9% |
| Fox News | 1,910 | 1,843 | 3.6% |
| A&E | 1,640 | 1,515 | 8.3% |
| FX | 1,453 | 1,275 | 14.0% |
| SyFy | 1,449 | 1,297 | 11.7% |
| ABC Family | 1,425 | 1,373 | 3.8% |
| ESPN2 | 578 | 672 | -14.0% |
| NFL Network | 276 | 222 | 24.3% |
| Speed | 197 | 199 | -1.0% |
| MLB Network | 189 | 144 | 31.3% |
| Versus | 175 | 164 | 6.7% |
| Golf Channel | 126 | 116 | 8.6% |
| ESPNews | 103 | 95 | 8.4% |
| Fox Soccer | 37 | 34 | 8.8% |
| NBA TV | 33 | n/a | % |
| Fuel TV | 14 | n/a | % |
| | | | |
NOTES: Period of measurement for Q3 in ’11 was from June 27 through Sept. 25. Last year, the period was measured from June 28 through Sept. 26. Primetime audience is defined as 8:00-11:00pm.
