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Research and Ratings

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.

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