ESPN is in 98.8 million U.S. TV homes as college football season gets set to begin, the net’s lowest level for August since ’09 (98.4 million homes). ESPN2 similarly is at its lowest level for the start of college football since ’09. ESPNU is in 73.3 million homes, up from 72.9 at the start of last season. Also seeing a year-over-year drop ahead of football season is FX (98.1 million vs. 99.2 million homes). The Weather Channel leads all cable nets in August in distribution, and is the only U.S. cable net in over 100 million homes. Listed below are figures for the top 10 most-distributed cable nets in August, compared to the same period in recent years. Also listed are figures for cable sports nets (THE DAILY).
|
AUGUST CABLE TV NETWORK DISTRIBUTION IN THE U.S.
(MILLIONS OF HOMES)
|
| NETWORK |
'06
|
'07
|
'08
|
'09
|
'10
|
'11
|
'12
|
| The Weather Channel |
90,584
|
94,354
|
96,277
|
99,389
|
99,890
|
100,933
|
100,066
|
| TBS |
90,569
|
93,992
|
96,792
|
99,432
|
100,601
|
101,033
|
99,935
|
Nickelodeon/
Nick-At-Nite |
90,558
|
94,312
|
96,154
|
98,957
|
99,995
|
100,428
|
99,636
|
| Food Network |
89,586
|
93,548
|
95,625
|
98,518
|
99,818
|
100,481
|
99,576
|
| Discovery Channel |
91,185
|
94,924
|
96,368
|
99,117
|
100,030
|
100,728
|
99,528
|
| USA Network |
90,861
|
94,397
|
96,078
|
98,740
|
99,404
|
100,293
|
99,321
|
Cartoon Network/
Adult Swim |
89,705
|
93,666
|
95,439
|
97,653
|
98,732
|
99,622
|
99,250
|
| CNN |
90,944
|
94,607
|
95,977
|
98,771
|
99,578
|
100,148
|
99,145
|
| A&E |
90,502
|
94,182
|
95,745
|
98,346
|
99,252
|
100,024
|
99,013
|
| TNT |
90,871
|
94,448
|
95,923
|
98,608
|
99,563
|
100,086
|
98,940
|
| ESPN |
91,109
|
94,674
|
96,207
|
98,405
|
99,445
|
99,753
|
98,752
|
| ESPN2 |
90,586
|
94,332
|
95,625
|
98,016
|
99,373
|
99,617
|
98,738
|
| FX |
88,846
|
92,428
|
93,175
|
95,633
|
96,343
|
99,171
|
98,101
|
| Golf Channel |
69,022
|
75,095
|
74,618
|
81,107
|
82,979
|
83,954
|
84,310
|
| Speed |
67,300
|
71,367
|
72,478
|
73,624
|
76,474
|
78,310
|
81,300
|
| NBC Sports Network |
69,775
|
72,337
|
72,859
|
75,540
|
74,108
|
76,087
|
77,191
|
| ESPNews |
50,601
|
59,920
|
64,776
|
68,775
|
73,665
|
74,237
|
74,657
|
| ESPNU |
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
72,917
|
73,335
|
| MLB Network |
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
54,959
|
56,412
|
70,150
|
| NBA TV |
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
55,074
|
59,821
|
| NFL Network |
n/a
|
43,731
|
39,746
|
42,440
|
56,504
|
56,800
|
59,590
|
| Fox Soccer |
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
34,445
|
36,961
|
39,173
|
41,314
|
| Outdoor Channel |
27,581
|
29,868
|
30,064
|
3,0437
|
35,609
|
34,059
|
38,077
|
| Fuel TV |
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
32,248
|
36,363
|
| ESPN Classic |
61,485
|
63,085
|
62,412
|
63,702
|
41,761
|
33,663
|
31,476
|
| Sportsman Channel |
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
30,255
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOTES: Figures not available for nets that do not subscribe to regular Nielsen ratings, including Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, Fox College Sports, Longhorn Network, NHL Network, Tennis Channel and Universal Sports.
