ESPN Tops Cable Nets In Primetime For November; "SNF" Tops Sweeps
ESPN topped all cable nets in primetime (8:00-11:00pm) in November, averaging a 2.4 cable rating and 3.1 million viewers, which is up 4.3% and 4.7%, respectively, from a 2.3 rating and 3.0 million viewers for the similar time period last year. ESPN beat out USA and Fox News for the top spot, backed by five "MNF" games that all ranked in the top-eight most-viewed cable broadcasts during the time period. ESPN2 also saw year-over-year gains in November, up 16.7% in primetime ratings and 18.6% in viewers. ESPNews and ESPN Classic, however, both suffered declines in primetime during the time period. Speed had a good November, up 18.2% in primetime viewership, and Versus saw a 53.1% gain. The NFL Network, which began airing its live slate of games in November, had two of its three games rank among cable's top-20 most-viewed primetime programs and saw a 101.7% increase in viewership. The chart below shows how select cable sports nets performed for the month of November in primetime, compared to the similar period last year, as well the top-10 most-viewed cable primetime shows for the month (THE DAILY).
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---------- RATINGS ----------
|
---------- VIEWERS (000) ----------
|
|
NET
|
Nov. '08
|
Nov. '07
|
% +/-
|
Nov. '08
|
Nov. '07
|
% +/-
|
|
ESPN
|
2.4
|
2.3
|
4.3%
|
3138
|
2998
|
4.7%
|
|
ESPN Classic
|
0.1
|
0.1
|
0.0%
|
79
|
90
|
-12.2%
|
| ESPN2 |
0.7
|
0.6
|
16.7%
|
886
|
747
|
18.6%
|
| ESPNews |
0.1
|
0.1
|
0.0%
|
85
|
98
|
-13.3%
|
| Golf Channel |
0.1
|
0.1
|
0.0%
|
75
|
89
|
-15.7%
|
| NFL Network |
0.8
|
0.4
|
100.0%
|
470
|
233
|
101.7%
|
| Speed |
0.3
|
0.2
|
50.0%
|
253
|
214
|
18.2%
|
| Versus |
0.3
|
0.2
|
50.0%
|
294
|
192
|
53.1%
|
| NOTES: November '07 measured as October 29-November 25. November '08 measured as October 27-November 30. |
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RANK
|
DATE
|
PROGRAM
|
NET
|
VIEWERS (000)
|
|
1
|
11/4
|
"Election Night '08"
|
CNN
|
15,258
|
|
2
|
11/3
|
"Monday Night Football": Steelers-Redskins
|
ESPN
|
14,232
|
|
3
|
11/4
|
"Election Night '08"
|
CNN
|
13,172
|
|
4
|
11/4
|
"Election Night '08"
|
CNN
|
12,418
|
|
5
|
11/10
|
"Monday Night Football": 49ers-Cardinals
|
ESPN
|
11,870
|
|
6
|
10/27
|
"Monday Night Football": Colts-Titans
|
ESPN
|
11,623
|
|
6
|
11/17
|
"Monday Night Football": Browns-Bills
|
ESPN
|
11,565
|
|
8
|
11/24
|
"Monday Night Football": Packers-Saints
|
ESPN
|
11,380
|
|
8
|
11/4
|
"Election Night '08"
|
CNN
|
11,303
|
|
10
|
11/4
|
"Election Night '08"
|
CNN
|
11,142
|
BROADCAST: "Sunday Night Football" on NBC finished the November sweeps (October 30-November 26) as the No. 1 program in all of primetime TV across key demos, including adults 18-49 (6.5 rating), adults 25-54 (7.1 rating), men 18-34 (7.4 rating), men 18-49 (8.7 rating) and men 25-54 (9.6 rating). "SNF" also averaged 17.2 million viewers during November (NBC).
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