Return Of Games Boosts NBA TV In Nov.; Fuel TV Sees 11th Straight Month Of Growth

With the NBA season beginning at its regularly-scheduled time this year, NBA TV received an enormous boost to its viewership in November for both primetime and total-day audience. The net averaged 157,000 primetime viewers in November, up 504% from the same period last year when the net was without live games due to the lockout. This year's figure is up 35% from '10. Total-day viewership for the net also was up 369% from last year. Fuel TV saw big gains in November. The net was up 119% in primetime, marking Fuel TV's 11th straight month of growth. Without a Thanksgiving night game this season, NFL Network saw its primetime audience drop 29% in November. Last year, the net aired 49ers-Ravens on Thanksgiving night, which marked its most-viewed telecast ever. ESPN also struggled last month. The net's primetime audience was its lowest since '07 and down 16% from '11. A lack of NHL game telecasts was a factor in NBC Sports Network's 45% primetime audience drop in November. After Golf Channel had record-breaking numbers last November -- fueled by the Presidents Cup and Emirates Australian Open -- the net struggled this year with primetime viewership down 81%. The 65,000 average viewers in primetime was its lowest mark since at least '07.

ZOMBIELAND: After ESPN's "MNF" telecasts topped the list of most-watched shows in November last season, the top two spots this year were taken by episodes of AMC's "The Walking Dead." The "MNF" telecasts last month all ranked in the top 10, which was rounded out by election night coverage on Fox News. The Nov. 5 Eagles-Saints game was the top cable TV sports telecast audience in November with 12.9 million viewers.

CABLE SPORTS NETWORK PRIMETIME VIEWERSHIP IN NOVEMBER
NETWORK	'12 (000)	'11 (000)	'10 (000)	'09 (000)	'08 (000)	'07 (000)
ESPN	3,075	3,664	3,922	3,272	3,138	2998
NFL Network	647	907	732	456	470	233
ESPN2	517	636	850	1,076	886	747
Speed	180	221	230	240	253	214
NBA TV	157	26	116	n/a	n/a	n/a
NBC Sports Network	108	198	278	279	294	192
ESPNews	84	113	97	74	85	98
Golf Channel	65	339	83	105	75	89
Fuel TV	35	16	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Fox Soccer	31	40	45	46	n/a	n/a
MLB Network	29	40	28	n/a	n/a	n/a
CABLE SPORTS NETWORK TOTAL-DAY VIEWERSHIP IN NOVEMBER
NETWORK	'12 (000)	'11 (000)	'10 (000)	'09 (000)	'08 (000)	'07 (000)
ESPN	1,228	1,430	1,520	1,252	1,205	1,205
ESPN2	323	370	424	401	392	375
NFL Network	204	264	212	145	134	88
Speed	105	131	126	146	137	112
NBA TV	75	16	48	n/a	n/a	n/a
ESPNews	69	75	70	59	69	75
NBC Sports Network	52	71	100	120	112	88
Golf Channel	44	127	55	62	45	52
Fox Soccer	31	27	32	31	n/a	n/a
Fuel TV	20	9	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
MLB Network	19	20	16	n/a	n/a	n/a

NOTES: Figures not available for cable nets that do not subscribe to regular Nielsen ratings, including the Big Ten Network, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, CBS Sports Network, Fox College Sports, Longhorn Network, NHL Network, Tennis Channel, Universal Sports, Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel.