To answer the question in the headline: according to Nielsen as of the April cable universe coverage estimates ESPN is in 2.536 million more homes in the USA than NBC Sports Network.
Frequent readers of this post will note I had to change my headlining scheme because NBCSN surpassed FS1 in coverage.That was true last month too but I missed it. I apologize, NBC Sports!
**DO THESE NUMBERS INCLUDE STREAMING SERVICES LIKE SlingTV, Vue and DirecTV Now?**
Short answer: yes. The long answer is unfathomably long but Nielsen currently counts about 2.7 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 2.7 million because there are people who subscribe to a traditional cable bundle that also subscribe to one (or more) of the OTT services.
WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED AT XYZ NETWORK?
As ever 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).
A FEW NEW ADDITIONS THIS MONTH
CNN en español, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN News join (or rejoin in the case of ESPN News) the ranks of nationally measured Nielsen networks. They weren’t really 0 for March but that’s how Nielsen classifies them for March and it keeps the tables sortable.
Nielsen cable (includes satellite & telco services) coverage estimates for ALL nationally measured cable networks for March 2018:
Just one table for all the networks with changes versus the March estimates. Here are all the “How Much Bigger is ESPN?” posts I’ve done on this site over the past few years. If you’re more of the”wayback machine” sort, here’s July 2011).
If you’re on a mobile phone these tables should be much easier to read if you tilt your phone to landscape mode.
| 18-Mar | 18-Apr | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A&E NETWORK | 89,719 | 89,535 | -184 |
| ADULT SWIM | 90,629 | 90,572 | -57 |
| AMC | 90,623 | 90,458 | -165 |
| AMERICAN HEROES CHANNEL (Formerly MILITARY CHANNEL) | 50,892 | 50,657 | -235 |
| ANIMAL PLANET | 86,751 | 86,576 | -175 |
| BABY FIRST TV | 56,700 | 56,389 | -311 |
| BBC-AMERICA | 80,528 | 80,514 | -14 |
| BEIN SPORT | 22,135 | 22,010 | -125 |
| BEIN SPORT ESPANOL | 18,548 | 18,296 | -252 |
| BET HER (Formerly CENTRIC) | 47,457 | 46,953 | -504 |
| BIG TEN NETWORK | 57,138 | 58,854 | 1,716 |
| BLACK ENTERTAINMENT TV | 82,871 | 83,813 | 942 |
| BOOMERANG | 39,973 | 39,298 | -675 |
| BRAVO | 88,595 | 88,742 | 147 |
| CINE LATINO | 5,271 | 5,293 | 22 |
| CMT | 71,987 | 73,544 | 1,557 |
| CNBC | 87,047 | 87,053 | 6 |
| CNN (Formerly CABLE NEWS NETWORK) | 91,239 | 91,154 | -85 |
| CNN / HLN | 92,161 | 92,057 | -104 |
| CNN EN ESPANOL | 0 | 5,959 | 5,959 |
| COMEDY CENTRAL | 88,509 | 88,842 | 333 |
| COMEDY.TV | 14,558 | 14,874 | 316 |
| COOKING CHANNEL (Formerly FINE LIVING) | 61,308 | 61,040 | -268 |
| DESTINATION AMERICA (Formerly PLANET GREEN) | 47,550 | 47,335 | -215 |
| DISCOVERY CHANNEL | 90,158 | 89,959 | -199 |
| DISCOVERY EN ESPANOL | 6,285 | 6,290 | 5 |
| DISCOVERY FAMILIA | 6,044 | 5,903 | -141 |
| DISCOVERY FAMILY CHANNEL (Formerly THE HUB) | 57,541 | 57,524 | -17 |
| DISCOVERY LIFE CHANNEL (Formerly DISCOVERY FIT & HEALTH) | 45,105 | 44,731 | -374 |
| DISNEY CHANNEL | 90,470 | 90,310 | -160 |
| DISNEY JUNIOR | 70,026 | 69,808 | -218 |
| DISNEY XD (Formerly TOON DISNEY) | 71,956 | 71,778 | -178 |
| DIY NETWORK | 55,162 | 54,894 | -268 |
| E! ENTERTAINMENT TV | 89,355 | 89,305 | -50 |
| EL REY | 44,679 | 44,164 | -515 |
| ESN LIFESTYLES | 3,919 | 4,013 | 94 |
| ESPN | 86,770 | 86,763 | -7 |
| ESPN DEPORTES | 0 | 19,063 | 19,063 |
| ESPN2 | 86,589 | 86,649 | 60 |
| ESPNEWS | 0 | 63,433 | 63,433 |
| ESPNU | 64,691 | 64,271 | -420 |
| FM (formerly NUVO TV) | 38,275 | 37,454 | -821 |
| FOOD NETWORK | 92,634 | 92,440 | -194 |
| FOX BUSINESS NETWORK | 84,519 | 84,603 | 84 |
| FOX DEPORTES | 21,168 | 21,217 | 49 |
| FOX NEWS CHANNEL | 88,270 | 88,070 | -200 |
| FOX SPORTS 1 | 83,750 | 83,819 | 69 |
| FOX SPORTS 2 | 58,486 | 58,171 | -315 |
| FREEFORM (Formerly ABC FAMILY) | 88,645 | 88,518 | -127 |
| FUSE | 60,342 | 59,990 | -352 |
| FX | 90,052 | 89,971 | -81 |
| FX MOVIE CHANNEL | 57,237 | 57,624 | 387 |
| FXX (Formerly FOX SOCCER CHANNEL) | 86,198 | 86,369 | 171 |
| FYI (Formerly BIOGRAPHY CHANNEL) | 55,655 | 55,106 | -549 |
| GALAVISION | 68,126 | 67,891 | -235 |
| GOLF CHANNEL | 71,536 | 71,336 | -200 |
| GREAT AMERICAN COUNTRY | 52,805 | 52,320 | -485 |
| GSN | 71,493 | 72,308 | 815 |
| HALLMARK CHANNEL | 88,077 | 87,857 | -220 |
| HALLMARK MOVIES & MYSTERIES (Formerly HALLMARK MOVIE CHANNEL) | 67,677 | 67,607 | -70 |
| HBO - THE WORKS | 36,017 | 35,904 | -113 |
| HBO PRIME | 35,487 | 35,323 | -164 |
| HEADLINE NEWS | 89,564 | 89,505 | -59 |
| HISTORY | 90,371 | 90,173 | -198 |
| HOME AND GARDEN TV | 90,672 | 90,565 | -107 |
| IFC TV (Formerly INDEPENDENT FILM CHANNEL) | 73,965 | 74,119 | 154 |
| INSP (Formerly THE INSPIRATIONAL NETWORK) | 79,943 | 79,812 | -131 |
| INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY (Formerly DISCOVERY TIMES) | 83,875 | 83,721 | -154 |
| JUSTICE CENTRAL | 22,365 | 23,483 | 1,118 |
| LIFETIME MOVIE NETWORK | 69,559 | 69,005 | -554 |
| LIFETIME TELEVISION | 89,555 | 89,309 | -246 |
| LOGO | 45,548 | 44,925 | -623 |
| MAXPRIME | 20,762 | 20,898 | 136 |
| MLB NETWORK | 60,411 | 59,770 | -641 |
| MSNBC | 88,550 | 88,398 | -152 |
| MTV (Formerly MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION) | 85,669 | 86,355 | 686 |
| MTV2 | 72,780 | 72,419 | -361 |
| MTV CLASSIC (Formerly VH1 CLASSIC) | 49,046 | 48,649 | -397 |
| MULTIMAX | 21,094 | 21,283 | 189 |
| NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC (Formerly NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHNL) | 89,260 | 89,343 | 83 |
| NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC WILD | 59,592 | 59,719 | 127 |
| NBA-TV | 46,666 | 46,275 | -391 |
| NBC SPORTS NETWORK | 84,584 | 84,227 | -357 |
| NFL NETWORK | 69,834 | 69,240 | -594 |
| NICK JR (Formerly NOGGIN) | 71,259 | 71,108 | -151 |
| NICK-AT-NITE | 87,268 | 87,772 | 504 |
| NICKELODEON | 87,268 | 87,772 | 504 |
| NICKTOONS | 59,953 | 59,393 | -560 |
| OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK (Formerly Discovery Health) | 75,456 | 75,122 | -334 |
| OUTDOOR CHANNEL | 35,819 | 35,592 | -227 |
| OVATION NETWORK | 45,036 | 45,114 | 78 |
| OXYGEN MEDIA | 73,881 | 73,729 | -152 |
| PARAMOUNT | 81,119 | 81,769 | 650 |
| POP (Formerly TV GUIDE NETWORK) | 68,284 | 67,891 | -393 |
| PURSUIT CHANNEL | 27,312 | 27,959 | 647 |
| REELZCHANNEL | 61,053 | 61,877 | 824 |
| RFD-TV | 46,676 | 46,418 | -258 |
| SCIENCE (Formerly SCIENCE CHANNEL) | 63,733 | 63,289 | -444 |
| SHOWTIME | 28,051 | 27,958 | -93 |
| SHOWTIME PRIME | 27,817 | 27,643 | -174 |
| SMITHSONIAN | 35,174 | 35,019 | -155 |
| SPORTSMAN CHANNEL | 26,944 | 26,884 | -60 |
| STARZ | 27,208 | 26,983 | -225 |
| STARZ ENCORE (Formerly ENCORE) | 33,720 | 33,754 | 34 |
| STARZ ENCORE PRIMARY (Formerly ENCORE PRIMARY) | 31,052 | 30,843 | -209 |
| STARZ PRIMARY | 26,366 | 26,126 | -240 |
| SUNDANCE TV (Formerly SUNDANCE CHANNEL) | 69,635 | 69,796 | 161 |
| SYFY | 89,198 | 89,127 | -71 |
| TBS NETWORK | 91,485 | 91,406 | -79 |
| TEENNICK (Formerly THE N) | 65,679 | 65,196 | -483 |
| THE TENNIS CHANNEL | 55,061 | 55,487 | 426 |
| THE CARTOON NETWORK | 90,629 | 90,572 | -57 |
| THE WEATHER CHANNEL | 81,190 | 80,852 | -338 |
| TLC | 88,646 | 88,433 | -213 |
| TRAVEL CHANNEL | 82,942 | 82,901 | -41 |
| TRU TV (Formerly COURT TV) | 86,430 | 86,521 | 91 |
| TURNER NETWORK TELEVISION | 90,360 | 90,425 | 65 |
| TV LAND | 85,969 | 86,669 | 700 |
| TV LAND CLASSIC | 85,969 | 86,669 | 700 |
| TV ONE | 58,399 | 58,360 | -39 |
| UNIVERSAL KIDS (Formerly SPROUT) | 57,487 | 57,718 | 231 |
| UNIVERSO (Formerly NBC UNIVERSO) | 40,350 | 39,943 | -407 |
| UNIVISION DEPORTES | 44,378 | 43,930 | -448 |
| UP (Formerly GMC) | 66,082 | 65,199 | -883 |
| USA NETWORK | 91,465 | 91,299 | -166 |
| VELOCITY (Formerly HD THEATER) | 73,016 | 72,966 | -50 |
| VH1 | 86,246 | 87,060 | 814 |
| VICELAND | 67,661 | 67,201 | -460 |
| WE TV (Formerly Womens Entertainment) | 86,021 | 85,964 | -57 |
| WGN AMERICA (Formerly Superstation WGN) | 76,677 | 76,767 | 90 |
| Z LIVING | 19,161 | 19,056 | -105 |
All data ©Nielsen (data provided by a variety of TV network sources and not directly from Nielsen)
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