USA was the top ad-supported cable net in primetime during '07, seeing a 1.8% gain in average viewers. Among sports nets, primetime programming on ESPN was tops with 1.95 million average viewers for the year, which was off 10.8% for the year prior. ESPN2 and ESPN Classic also saw declines in average viewers, 1.4% and 9.3%, respectively. Golf Channel, during the first year of its 15-year deal with the PGA Tour, saw a 33.0% bump to an average of 137,000 viewers, which was still less than the 196,000 viewers averaged by the NFL Network in primetime, despite being in nearly half as many homes as Golf Channel. Versus also saw an increase in viewers, up 7.1% in '07. The following lists average HHs and viewers in primetime for the top ad-supported cable nets for '07, with comparisons to the same period during the previous year ( THE DAILY ).
|
OTHER SPORTS NETWORK RANKINGS
|
|||||
|
RK
|
NET
|
AVG. HHs (000)
|
% +/-
|
AVG. VIEWERS (000)
|
% +/-
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
28
|
ESPN2 |
509
|
-0.8%
|
657
|
-1.4%
|
|
--
|
NFL Network^ |
455
|
34.6%
|
666
|
37.0%
|
|
45
|
Speed |
185
|
-5.1%
|
240
|
-4.0%
|
|
47
|
Versus |
169
|
10.5%
|
225
|
7.1%
|
|
59
|
Golf Channel |
113
|
31.4%
|
137
|
33.0%
|
|
63
|
ESPN Classic |
85
|
-9.6%
|
107
|
-9.3%
|
NOTES: * = rebranded as truTV in '08. ^ = The NFL Network did not start receiving ratings until November '06. HHs and viewers listed for the net reflect November/December '07 in primetime vs. the same period in '06.
|
OTHER SPORTS NETWORK RANKINGS
|
|||||
|
RK
|
NET
|
AVG. HHs (000)
|
% +/-
|
AVG. VIEWERS (000)
|
% +/-
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
28
|
ESPN2 |
509
|
-0.8%
|
657
|
-1.4%
|
|
--
|
NFL Network^ |
455
|
34.6%
|
666
|
37.0%
|
|
45
|
Speed |
185
|
-5.1%
|
240
|
-4.0%
|
|
47
|
Versus |
169
|
10.5%
|
225
|
7.1%
|
|
59
|
Golf Channel |
113
|
31.4%
|
137
|
33.0%
|
|
63
|
ESPN Classic |
85
|
-9.6%
|
107
|
-9.3%
|
