Nearly a full fiscal quarter after ESPN "became the first television network to negotiate for the inclusion of out-of-home deliveries in its deals with advertisers, the initial batch of Nielsen data suggests that viewing in bars, gyms and other public venues is winning back a not-insignificant volume of 'lost' impressions," according to Anthony Crupi of AD AGE. According to Nielsen's "newly-processed horde of out-of-home data, ESPN in October enjoyed a 7% lift in its overall deliveries among adults 18-49, thanks to concentrated viewing by the nation's gym rats, bar flies and other sports fans watching from beyond the bounds of their own living rooms." The lift among adults 25-54 was also up 7% in that same period. College football saw the "biggest out-of-home lift in the key sales demos, as deliveries for adults 18-49 and 25-54 were up 9% compared to ESPN's linear TV ratings." Adults 18-34 "grew 10% thanks to the recently ratified system of measurement." In October, ESPN and ESPN2 "combined to air 53 college games," with the average draw for those being 1.12 million viewers. When out-of-home viewing was factored in, the figure jumped 6% to 1.19 million viewers. Add in those who "streamed the October games via the WatchESPN app, and the average draw ... jumped 10% to 1.23 million viewers." Out-of-home lifts for ESPN's regular-season NBA coverage and "MNF" slate were "largely consistent with its college football gains" (ADAGE.com, 12/29).
