The NBA regular season is in its first full month in November, and TV partners TNT, ESPN and NBA TV each have slightly less U.S. distribution this month compared to the start of last season. Golf Channel also is seeing lower distribution this month, with its mark of 81.75 million homes being the lowest for the network since November '09. FS1 crossed the 90-million-homes mark for the first time last month, but distribution is slightly lower in November (88.56 million). The Weather Channel continues to lead all cable networks with 99.8 million homes (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
SAY WHAT? In this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, John Ourand cites data as showing that ESPN2 is available in 37,000 more U.S. homes than ESPN in November. ESPN in a statement said, “We know from internal data that there are more ESPN homes than ESPN2 homes. We believe that there is a small number of misclassified homes that has led to this anomaly in Nielsen reporting and we are working with them to rectify the situation for their December coverage estimates. This in no way affects Nielsen reporting of our audiences during the month of November -- Nielsen reports all viewing to cable networks regardless of whether a home is classified as a subscriber or not” (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 11/4 issue).
Listed below are the top 10 cable networks in terms of U.S. distribution for the month of November. Also listed is distribution for networks that have significant sports content.
|
CABLE NETWORK DISTRIBUTION FOR MONTH OF NOVEMBER
|
| NETWORK |
'06 (000)
|
'11 (000)
|
'12 (000)
|
'12 (000)
|
| The Weather Channel |
91,767
|
100,153
|
99,839
|
99,835
|
| Food Network |
90,903
|
99,671
|
99,330
|
99,066
|
| TBS |
91,517
|
100,119
|
99,528
|
98,995
|
| Discovery Channel |
92,338
|
99,844
|
99,040
|
98,558
|
| USA |
91,980
|
99,487
|
98,894
|
98,552
|
| Nickelodeon/Nick-At-Nite |
91,773
|
99,646
|
99,186
|
98,530
|
| Cartoon Network/Adult Swim |
90,910
|
99,072
|
98,787
|
98,456
|
| CNN |
92,045
|
99,378
|
98,769
|
98,301
|
| A&E |
91,591
|
99,197
|
98,636
|
98,212
|
| History Channel |
91,064
|
98,956
|
98,465
|
98,035
|
| TNT |
91,974
|
99,238
|
98,570
|
97,859
|
| ESPN2 |
91,707
|
99,008
|
98,368
|
97,407
|
| ESPN |
92,245
|
99,185
|
98,404
|
97,370
|
| Spike |
91,611
|
98,858
|
97,975
|
97,345
|
| FS1 |
68,465
|
78,257
|
80,775
|
88,556
|
| Golf Channel |
69,648
|
83,719
|
84,080
|
81,751
|
| NBCSN |
70,612
|
75,783
|
77,743
|
78,139
|
| ESPNU |
n/a
|
72,776
|
73,475
|
74,882
|
| ESPNews |
52,431
|
73,994
|
74,401
|
74,685
|
| NFL Network |
37,483
|
57,395
|
65,406
|
72,066
|
| MLB Network |
n/a
|
67,549
|
70,113
|
70,036
|
| NBA TV |
n/a
|
55,170
|
59,832
|
59,078
|
| Outdoor Channel |
28,915
|
35,015
|
38,115
|
39,148
|
| FS2 |
n/a
|
32,680
|
35,887
|
36,439
|
| Sportsman Channel |
n/a
|
n/a
|
30,141
|
32,050
|
| ESPN Classic |
62,741
|
32,814
|
31,067
|
30,326
|
| Fox Deportes |
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
21,066
|
| |
|
|
|
|
NOTES: Figures not available for nets that do not subscribe to regular Nielsen ratings, including Pac-12 Networks, Big Ten Network, CBSSN, Fox College Sports, Longhorn Network, NHL Network, Tennis Channel, ESPN Deportes, beIN Sport, GolTV and Universal Sports.
