ESPN ratings 43% higher in HD homes than SD abodes in April

by Darren Murph posted May 21st 2008 at 12:50AM

Life's good in Bristol -- at least it sure looks that way based on reports stemming from The Cable Show in New Orleans and the latest Nielsen data. For starters, primetime viewership on ESPN grew 15%, while total day ratings ratcheted up 13%. According to Sean Bratches, executive vice president of sales and marketing for the outfit, ESPN's ratings were 43% higher in high-definition homes versus standard-definition homes, reiterating that sports and movies are the two biggest draws of owning an HDTV. Needless to say, the news simply means that the network can demand even more for precious ad time, but we won't even pretend you didn't see that coming.

Filed under: Industry, ESPN-HD, Advertising, Sports

Tags: ads, advertising, cable show, cable show 2008, CableShow, CableShow2008, espn, marketing, ratings, sport, sports, viewers, viewership

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Neutral

why not the LS2LS7? @ May 21st 2008 1:02AM

So if people with ESPN HD tend to watch more ESPN, why does ESPN HD cost us more? It should pay back ESPN in higher ratings, instead of directly out of our pockets.

Neutral

Bradley @ May 21st 2008 1:32AM

This doesn't surprise me. Aside from locals and PBS, ESPN and TNT are the only HD channels I get via QAM. I've watched year old World Poker Tour shows simply because they were HD.

Neutral

YouFaceTheTick @ May 21st 2008 2:26AM

We have NFL-N in HD. ESPN HD only gets turned on when there's a football game, otherwise I have no interest in the station or the pathetic crackheads they hire (take a bow Irvin).

Neutral

Cole Mitguard @ May 21st 2008 6:46AM

Well, assuming that most sport fans are the ideal large TV buyers, this is only practical. If you have ever tried to watch SD football/baseball/basketball/boxing or just about any other sport that finds its way on to ESPN, on a HDTV any larger than 40", you will quickly become sick. Whenever you walk into an electronics store, they are trained to ask if you watch sports, and if you answer yes, you are automatically upgraded to the large size (50" +) TV's, as they know that seeing the game in a large format is probably going to be more important to you than the people who spend their day watching Soaps. So again, lets follow the steps, people who like sports, like big TV's, which they buy, and then have to watch ESPN HD in order to enjoy it, period. I could of told you the result of this survey before it was performed.

Neutral

Doc @ May 21st 2008 9:29AM

You said it... This is the major reason I don't watch much NFL network, it's not in HD(now). I watch ESPN more by default since I can't stand SD TV I just end up surfing the HD lineup or the DVR for things to watch.

Highly Ranked

Achilles @ May 21st 2008 11:00AM

ESPNewsHD is sick! The picture rocks!!!! I've always watched Sportscenter. But now that I have HD, ESPN is a favorite. I'm sick of watching SD channels and stretch-o-vision channels (not true HD).

Nintendo 'hasn't committed' to new Zelda for Wii in 2010 Xbox 360 port of 3D Dot Game Heroes 'possible' Select GameStops in NY, OH and PA selling Modern Warfare 2 already [Update: Activision responds]	Photoshop.com Mobile now available for Android devices Jailbroken iPhones in Australia getting Rickrolled by a worm OpenOfficeMouse boosts productivity with 18 buttons. Yes, 18. And a joystick.
Is the Magic Mouse a dog? First look: Viewfinder supercharges Flickr search Yes, the Apple Store is ~~down~~ up	Walmart, Amazon now slash DVD prices: What's next? Trade #6: Vodafone (VOD) The week in preview: Earnings from Walmart, Macy's, and other retailers
Reminder: Watch the first episode of Halo Legends today [update: It's gone] Homemade Fallout 3 Shishkebab, make 'em now before the apocalypse Gears of War 2 celebrates first anniversary with triple XP	For an Imperfect World: The Official Rules of Shotgun NHTSA study indicates hybrids have higher pedestrian crash rates VIDEO: "My Name is Ram" TV commercial ran 190 times on debut night
Sony Online faces lawsuit from visually impaired gamer Aion's Western launch causes big boost in NCsoft financial results Rumor: A adventure game based on Minesweeper?	Concussion Sidelines Clinton Portis Bears' Tommie Harris Ejected for Punch NFL Week 9 Live Tweet