ESPN Wins November Ratings Race
Football Audiences Boost Sports Net to Cable's Top Spot
By Linda Moss -- Multichannel News, 12/3/2008 9:25:00 AM
Fueled by pro and college football, ESPN scored a ratings touchdown in November, ranking No. 1 in households in primetime, according to Nielsen Media Research data.
And catapulted by the November elections, the all-news networks saw double- and triple-digit gains.
Top-ranked ESPN racked up a 2.4 rating, up 4% from November last year, according to a Disney ABC Television Group analysis of Nielsen data.
USA Network and Fox News Channel tied for second place, each with a 2.1 rating. USA was flat versus last year, while Fox News Channel—benefitting from the presidential and general election—was up a whopping 75%, from last November’s 1.2 rating.
They were followed in primetime by Disney Channel, which averaged a 1.8 rating in November, down 18% from a year ago. TNT posted a 1.5 rating, the same as last November, followed by Nick at Nite with a 1.4, a 17% gain.
TBS, CNN and Hallmark Channel each averaged a 1.3 rating. TBS slipped down 7% from last year, while CNN was up 86%, from a 0.7, on the wings of the November election. Hallmark saw an 8% increase from last year.
MSNBC scored a 1.2 primetime rating, up a sizable 140%, from a 0.5, with its election boost.
Cartoon Network and Lifetime Television each garnered a 1.1 rating. Cartoon was flat versus a year ago, while Lifetime was up 10%.
Some of the other big primetime winners in household ratings in November were: ABC Family, which was up 25% with a 1.0 rating; NFL Network, up 100% to a 0.8; Nicktoons, up 50% to a 0.3; Oxygen, up 33% to a 0.4; Speed, up 50% to a 0.3; The N, up 50% to a 0.3; and Versus, up 50% to a 0.3.
The biggest losers in November included: Bio Channel, down 33% to a 0.2; G4, down 50% to a 0.1; Great American Country, down 50% to a 0.1; MTV, down 40% to a 0.6; and TV Land, down 25% to a 0.6.
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