According to Nielsen as of the May cable universe coverage estimates ESPN is in 2.58 million more homes in the USA than NBC Sports Network.
**DO THESE NUMBERS INCLUDE STREAMING SERVICES LIKE SlingTV, Vue and DirecTV Now?**
Yes, Nielsen currently counts 2.9 million homes that access exclusively through OTT services like Vue, YouTube TV, etc. In the aggregate those services may have a few more subscribers that aren’t counted in the 2.9 million because some households subscribe to a traditional cable bundle and also subscribe to one (or more) of the OTT services.
WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED AT XYZ NETWORK?
It’s best to use these monthly estimates directionally over the long haul and not pay any/much attention to the goings on in any particular month. But the usual reasons for big monthly spikes are carriage squabbles or a change in tier (from less expensive to more expensive or vice versa).
Nielsen cable (includes satellite & telco services) coverage estimates for all nationally measured cable networks for May 2018:
Here, the May 2018 estimates are compared to the May 2017 estimates*. If you want to compare to last month here are all the “How Much Bigger is ESPN?” posts I’ve done on this site over the past few years. If you’re a “wayback machine” sort, here’s July 2011
I don’t normally do the Y/Y comparisons because the way I get the data only the “versus last month” comparison is automated and the Y/Y comparison adds a lot of room for human error. But it’s a very interesting look because for a lot of the networks (ESPN, FS1 and NBCSN come to mind) it really smoothes out the month-to-month stuff in ways that don’t look nearly as bad Y/Y as some of you might think.
Golf Channel though whoo boy/no human error there.
If you’re on a mobile phone these tables should be much easier to read if you tilt your phone to landscape mode.
17-May | 18-May | Change | |
---|---|---|---|
A&E NETWORK | 89,994 | 89,113 | -881 |
ADULT SWIM | 90,528 | 90,053 | -475 |
AMC | 90,368 | 89,933 | -435 |
AMERICAN HEROES CHANNEL (Formerly MILITARY CHANNEL) | 53,114 | 50,240 | -2,874 |
ANIMAL PLANET | 88,100 | 85,767 | -2,333 |
BABY FIRST TV | 53,959 | 56,811 | 2,852 |
BBC-AMERICA | 78,962 | 80,115 | 1,153 |
BEIN SPORT | 22,581 | 21,977 | -604 |
BEIN SPORT ESPANOL | 18,391 | 18,226 | -165 |
BET HER (Formerly CENTRIC) | 49,307 | 46,570 | -2,737 |
BIG TEN NETWORK | N/A | 58,240 | 58,240 |
BLACK ENTERTAINMENT TV | 83,239 | 83,386 | 147 |
BOOMERANG | 41,205 | 38,905 | -2,300 |
BRAVO | 86,962 | 88,272 | 1,310 |
CINE LATINO | 5,364 | 5,346 | -18 |
CMT | 74,090 | 73,220 | -870 |
CNBC | 87,442 | 86,530 | -912 |
CNN (Formerly CABLE NEWS NETWORK) | 91,486 | 90,606 | -880 |
CNN / HLN | 92,509 | 91,567 | -942 |
CNN EN ESPANOL | N/A | 5,957 | 5,957 |
COMEDY CENTRAL | 88,930 | 88,653 | -277 |
COMEDY.TV | N/A | 15,053 | 15,053 |
COOKING CHANNEL (Formerly FINE LIVING) | 62,834 | 60,658 | -2,176 |
DESTINATION AMERICA (Formerly PLANET GREEN) | 51,448 | 47,017 | -4,431 |
DISCOVERY CHANNEL | 90,893 | 89,281 | -1,612 |
DISCOVERY EN ESPANOL | 6,102 | 6,319 | 217 |
DISCOVERY FAMILIA | 5,430 | 5,867 | 437 |
DISCOVERY FAMILY CHANNEL (Formerly THE HUB) | 60,814 | 56,932 | -3,882 |
DISCOVERY LIFE CHANNEL (Formerly DISCOVERY FIT & HEALTH) | 46,331 | 44,248 | -2,083 |
DISNEY CHANNEL | 90,798 | 89,830 | -968 |
DISNEY JUNIOR | 71,249 | 69,450 | -1,799 |
DISNEY XD (Formerly TOON DISNEY) | 73,778 | 71,328 | -2,450 |
DIY NETWORK | 57,259 | 54,623 | -2,636 |
E! ENTERTAINMENT TV | 89,156 | 88,779 | -377 |
EL REY | 44,456 | 43,976 | -480 |
ESN LIFESTYLES | N/A | 4,110 | 4,110 |
ESPN | 86,946 | 86,263 | -683 |
ESPN DEPORTES | N/A | 19,153 | 19,153 |
ESPN2 | 86,739 | 86,154 | -585 |
ESPNEWS | N/A | 63,027 | 63,027 |
ESPNU | 67,292 | 63,799 | -3,493 |
ESQUIRE Network | 39,044 | N/A | -39,044 |
FM (formerly NUVO TV) | 39,528 | 37,374 | -2,154 |
FOOD NETWORK | 92,711 | 91,880 | -831 |
FOX BUSINESS NETWORK | 83,409 | 84,435 | 1,026 |
FOX DEPORTES | 21,147 | 21,221 | 74 |
FOX NEWS CHANNEL | 88,820 | 87,562 | -1,258 |
FOX SPORTS 1 | 83,594 | 83,491 | -103 |
FOX SPORTS 2 | 49,649 | 57,613 | 7,964 |
FREEFORM (Formerly ABC FAMILY) | 88,721 | 88,063 | -658 |
FUSE | 62,690 | 61,031 | -1,659 |
FX | 89,864 | 89,478 | -386 |
FX MOVIE CHANNEL | 55,261 | 57,506 | 2,245 |
FXX (Formerly FOX SOCCER CHANNEL) | 85,197 | 86,177 | 980 |
FYI (Formerly BIOGRAPHY CHANNEL) | 60,744 | 54,685 | -6,059 |
GALAVISION | 66,880 | 67,487 | 607 |
GOLF CHANNEL | 75,052 | 70,831 | -4,221 |
GREAT AMERICAN COUNTRY | 55,114 | 51,831 | -3,283 |
GSN | 73,960 | 71,765 | -2,195 |
HALLMARK CHANNEL | 87,826 | 87,296 | -530 |
HALLMARK MOVIES & MYSTERIES (Formerly HALLMARK MOVIE CHANNEL) | 66,388 | 67,573 | 1,185 |
HBO - THE WORKS | 34,324 | 35,510 | 1,186 |
HBO PRIME | 33,762 | 34,922 | 1,160 |
HEADLINE NEWS | 90,255 | 89,053 | -1,202 |
HISTORY | 90,564 | 89,648 | -916 |
HOME AND GARDEN TV | 90,860 | 90,091 | -769 |
IFC TV (Formerly INDEPENDENT FILM CHANNEL) | 70,719 | 73,906 | 3,187 |
INSP (Formerly THE INSPIRATIONAL NETWORK) | 80,682 | 79,324 | -1,358 |
INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY (Formerly DISCOVERY TIMES) | 84,224 | 83,195 | -1,029 |
JUSTICE CENTRAL | N/A | 26,404 | 26,404 |
LIFETIME MOVIE NETWORK | 73,568 | 68,242 | -5,326 |
LIFETIME TELEVISION | 89,923 | 88,821 | -1,102 |
LOGO | 47,471 | 44,521 | -2,950 |
MAXPRIME | 20,447 | 20,667 | 220 |
MLB NETWORK | 62,359 | 59,106 | -3,253 |
MSNBC | 88,874 | 87,791 | -1,083 |
MTV (Formerly MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION) | 86,691 | 85,877 | -814 |
MTV2 | 74,672 | 71,901 | -2,771 |
MTV CLASSIC (Formerly VH1 CLASSIC) | 51,116 | 47,987 | -3,129 |
MULTIMAX | 20,841 | 21,071 | 230 |
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC (Formerly NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHNL) | 88,939 | 88,923 | -16 |
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC WILD | 55,309 | 59,508 | 4,199 |
NBA-TV | 49,407 | 45,945 | -3,462 |
NBC SPORTS NETWORK | 83,883 | 83,683 | -200 |
NFL NETWORK | 69,785 | 68,398 | -1,387 |
NICK JR (Formerly NOGGIN) | 71,315 | 70,745 | -570 |
NICK-AT-NITE | 88,119 | 87,276 | -843 |
NICKELODEON | 88,119 | 87,276 | -843 |
NICKTOONS | 61,435 | 58,501 | -2,934 |
OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK (Formerly Discovery Health) | 76,712 | 74,542 | -2,170 |
OUTDOOR CHANNEL | 37,399 | 35,372 | -2,027 |
OVATION NETWORK | 46,724 | 44,816 | -1,908 |
OXYGEN MEDIA | 74,646 | 73,259 | -1,387 |
PARAMOUNT | N/A | 81,301 | 81,301 |
POP (Formerly TV GUIDE NETWORK) | 70,935 | 67,547 | -3,388 |
PURSUIT CHANNEL | N/A | 28,257 | 28,257 |
REELZCHANNEL | 63,981 | 61,425 | -2,556 |
RFD-TV | 45,016 | 46,412 | 1,396 |
SCIENCE (Formerly SCIENCE CHANNEL) | 67,321 | 62,564 | -4,757 |
SHOWTIME | 28,420 | 27,927 | -493 |
SHOWTIME PRIME | 28,147 | 27,606 | -541 |
SMITHSONIAN | 36,325 | 34,996 | -1,329 |
SPIKE TV | 82,520 | N/A | -82,520 |
SPORTSMAN CHANNEL | N/A | 26,437 | 26,437 |
STARZ | 29,796 | 26,646 | -3,150 |
STARZ ENCORE (Formerly ENCORE) | 37,086 | 33,360 | -3,726 |
STARZ ENCORE PRIMARY (Formerly ENCORE PRIMARY) | 35,132 | 30,338 | -4,794 |
STARZ PRIMARY | 28,880 | 25,805 | -3,075 |
SUNDANCE TV (Formerly SUNDANCE CHANNEL) | 65,323 | 69,813 | 4,490 |
SYFY | 89,329 | 88,621 | -708 |
TBS NETWORK | 91,505 | 90,916 | -589 |
TEENNICK (Formerly THE N) | 67,483 | 64,625 | -2,858 |
THE TENNIS CHANNEL | 53,393 | 55,011 | 1,618 |
THE CARTOON NETWORK | 90,528 | 90,053 | -475 |
THE WEATHER CHANNEL | 82,919 | 80,739 | -2,180 |
TLC | 89,340 | 87,727 | -1,613 |
TRAVEL CHANNEL | 83,481 | 82,498 | -983 |
TRU TV (Formerly COURT TV) | 86,656 | 86,138 | -518 |
TURNER NETWORK TELEVISION | 90,284 | 89,929 | -355 |
TV LAND | 86,830 | 86,051 | -779 |
TV LAND CLASSIC | 86,830 | 86,051 | -779 |
TV ONE | 59,260 | 58,015 | -1,245 |
UNIVERSAL KIDS (Formerly SPROUT) | 58,153 | 57,172 | -981 |
UNIVERSO (Formerly NBC UNIVERSO) | 41,833 | 39,633 | -2,200 |
UNIVISION DEPORTES | 45,780 | 43,549 | -2,231 |
UP (Formerly GMC) | 67,607 | 64,707 | -2,900 |
USA NETWORK | 91,319 | 90,784 | -535 |
VELOCITY (Formerly HD THEATER) | 71,395 | 72,746 | 1,351 |
VH1 | 86,899 | 86,568 | -331 |
VICELAND | 70,876 | 66,939 | -3,937 |
WE TV (Formerly Womens Entertainment) | 85,500 | 85,601 | 101 |
WGN AMERICA (Formerly Superstation WGN) | 78,751 | 77,183 | -1,568 |
Z LIVING | 21,055 | 19,098 | -1,957 |
All data ©Nielsen (data provided by a variety of TV network sources and not directly from Nielsen)
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