This is an update to a somewhat regularly posted series usually headlined “How Many More Homes is ESPN in than FS1 and NBC Sports Network?” If you want to get straight to the tables, scroll down.
To address the most frequently asked questions about these posts:
Question: does this count streaming services like Sling TV and Playstation Vue?
Answer: NO! A lot of people must ask this questions because at some point this year Nielsen added a boilerplate tab to the spreadsheet that includes the following text:
Homes receiving a cable network via traditional wired MVPDs, DBS (and satellite) and Telcos contribute to these estimates. Broadband only homes or homes receiving via, non-traditional providers, for example, Sling TV or Sony Vue etc. do not contribute to these estimates at this time.
This begs another, but not frequently asked, question: how come ESPN’s PR department isn’t even a little active about noting the subscriber numbers don’t include streaming services like Sling & Vue?
My guess: it’s not worth bothering to spin it. Losses to the streaming services might account for a significant chunk of the losses over the last year or so, but they definitely don’t explain the longer term trend over the last 5 years.
Question: can’t you just chalk up all of ESPN’s losses to people quitting cable?
Answer: NO-ish. You can chalk up a lot of the losses to that, but not all of the them. Even if you changed the question to “can’t you just chalk up all of ESPN’s losses to people quitting cable and switching to streaming services?” it doesn’t quite add up.
CNN is a good comparison here as it’s widely distributed and on the same streaming services as ESPN:
| Net | #Homes Jul 2011 (000) | Aug 2016 (000) | Change since 2011 (000) |
| CNN | 101,102 | 91,965 | (9,137) |
| ESPN | 100,127 | 88,781 | (11,346) |
Question: It’s all cord cutting!
Answer: OK that’s an exclamation not a question, but it’s an exclamation that gets exclaimed a lot. My answer is I doubt it. Some cord cutting for sure but I continue to think it’s mostly older households dying off (literally) that aren’t being replaced by younger households (AKA: Cord-never-ing.)
On to the tables — sports nets on top, followed by all cable networks in alphabetical order.
Nielsen cable (includes satellite & telco services) coverage estimates for the measured cable sports networks for August 2016
Note: NFL Network’s decline is almost certainly a result of its carriage dispute with Dish Networks which was resolved on Tuesday after the August estimates were published.
If you’re on a mobile phone these tables should be much easier to read if you tilt your phone to landscape mode.
| Network name | Estimated # of Homes (000) | Coverage % | Feb 2016 Estimate (000) | Change Since Feb (000) |
| BEIN SPORT | 23,554 | 20% | 25,161 | (1,607) |
| BEIN SPORT ESPANOL | 18,073 | 16% | 17,856 | 217 |
| ESPN | 88,781 | 76% | 90,988 | (2,207) |
| ESPN2 | 88,651 | 76% | 90,879 | (2,228) |
| ESPNU | 70,422 | 61% | 70,733 | (311) |
| FOX DEPORTES | 22,359 | 19% | 22,099 | 260 |
| FS1 | 82,702 | 71% | 84,166 | (1,464) |
| FS2 | 51,443 | 44% | 50,801 | 642 |
| GOLF CHANNEL | 75,096 | 65% | 76,477 | (1,381) |
| MLB NETWORK | 66,105 | 57% | 66,018 | 87 |
| NBA-TV | 53,746 | 46% | 53,384 | 362 |
| NBC SPORTS NETWORK | 82,941 | 71% | 83,022 | (81) |
| NFL NETWORK | 63,417 | 54% | 69,634 | (6,217) |
| UNIVISION DEPORTES | 47,181 | 41% | 47,093 | 88 |
| Total Cable | 97,796 | 84% | 99,274 | (1,478) |
—
Nielsen August 2016 coverage estimates for all measured cable channels in the national panel:
| Network name | Estimated # of Homes (000) | Coverage % |
| A&E NETWORK | 91,056 | 78% |
| ADULT SWIM | 91,436 | 79% |
| AMC | 91,035 | 78% |
| AMERICAN HEROES CHANNEL (Formerly MILITARY CHANNEL) | 56,476 | 49% |
| ANIMAL PLANET | 89,619 | 77% |
| BABY FIRST TV | 53,067 | 46% |
| BBC-AMERICA | 76,406 | 66% |
| BEIN SPORT | 23,554 | 20% |
| BEIN SPORT ESPANOL | 18,073 | 16% |
| BLACK ENTERTAINMENT TV | 84,308 | 72% |
| BOOMERANG | 44,989 | 39% |
| BRAVO | 87,539 | 75% |
| CENTRIC | 51,422 | 44% |
| CHILLER | 37,625 | 32% |
| CLOO (Formerly SLEUTH) | 24,591 | 21% |
| CMT | 79,304 | 68% |
| CNBC | 88,953 | 76% |
| CNN (Formerly CABLE NEWS NETWORK) | 91,965 | 79% |
| CNN / HLN | 92,997 | 80% |
| COMEDY CENTRAL | 89,873 | 77% |
| COOKING CHANNEL (Formerly FINE LIVING) | 65,153 | 56% |
| DESTINATION AMERICA (Formerly PLANET GREEN) | 55,227 | 47% |
| DISCOVERY CHANNEL | 92,197 | 79% |
| DISCOVERY EN ESPANOL | 6,071 | 5% |
| DISCOVERY FAMILIA | 5,507 | 5% |
| DISCOVERY FAMILY CHANNEL (Formerly THE HUB) | 64,835 | 56% |
| DISCOVERY LIFE CHANNEL (Formerly DISCOVERY FIT & HEALTH) | 46,695 | 40% |
| DISNEY CHANNEL | 91,914 | 79% |
| DISNEY JUNIOR | 73,042 | 63% |
| DISNEY XD (Formerly TOON DISNEY) | 76,566 | 66% |
| DIY NETWORK | 60,621 | 52% |
| E! ENTERTAINMENT TV | 90,212 | 78% |
| EL REY | 39,533 | 34% |
| ESPN | 88,781 | 76% |
| ESPN2 | 88,651 | 76% |
| ESPNU | 70,422 | 61% |
| ESQUIRE NETWORK (Formerly STYLE) | 66,479 | 57% |
| FM (formerly NUVO TV) | 36,156 | 31% |
| FOOD NETWORK | 93,125 | 80% |
| FOX BUSINESS NETWORK | 83,884 | 72% |
| FOX DEPORTES | 22,359 | 19% |
| FOX NEWS CHANNEL | 90,448 | 78% |
| FOX SPORTS 1 (Formerly SPEED) | 82,702 | 71% |
| FOX SPORTS 2 (Formerly FUEL) | 51,443 | 44% |
| FREEFORM (Formerly ABC FAMILY) | 89,820 | 77% |
| FUSE | 66,064 | 57% |
| FX | 90,395 | 78% |
| FX MOVIE CHANNEL | 56,058 | 48% |
| FXX (Formerly FOX SOCCER CHANNEL) | 80,501 | 69% |
| FYI (Formerly BIOGRAPHY CHANNEL) | 67,140 | 58% |
| GALAVISION | 66,762 | 57% |
| GOLF CHANNEL | 75,096 | 65% |
| GREAT AMERICAN COUNTRY | 58,124 | 50% |
| GSN | 77,463 | 67% |
| HALLMARK CHANNEL | 88,566 | 76% |
| HALLMARK MOVIES & MYSTERIES (Formerly HALLMARK MOVIE CHANNEL) | 66,509 | 57% |
| HBO – THE WORKS | 35,351 | 30% |
| HBO PRIME | 34,859 | 30% |
| HEADLINE NEWS | 91,181 | 78% |
| HISTORY | 91,658 | 79% |
| HOME AND GARDEN TV | 91,313 | 78% |
| IFC TV (Formerly INDEPENDENT FILM CHANNEL) | 69,545 | 60% |
| INSP (Formerly THE INSPIRATIONAL NETWORK) | 81,644 | 70% |
| INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY (Formerly DISCOVERY TIMES) | 84,992 | 73% |
| LIFETIME MOVIE NETWORK | 77,902 | 67% |
| LIFETIME TELEVISION | 91,168 | 78% |
| LOGO | 49,941 | 43% |
| MAXPRIME | 20,555 | 18% |
| MLB NETWORK | 66,105 | 57% |
| MSNBC | 90,146 | 77% |
| MTV (Formerly MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION) | 88,481 | 76% |
| MTV CLASSIC (Formerly VH1 CLASSIC) | 55,049 | 47% |
| MTV2 | 76,261 | 66% |
| MULTIMAX | 20,915 | 18% |
| NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHNL | 89,180 | 77% |
| NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC WILD | 57,590 | 49% |
| NBA-TV | 53,746 | 46% |
| NBC SPORTS NETWORK | 82,914 | 71% |
| NBC UNIVERSO (Formerly MUN2 CABLE) | 44,104 | 38% |
| NFL NETWORK | 63,417 | 54% |
| NICK JR (Formerly NOGGIN) | 72,013 | 62% |
| NICK-AT-NITE | 90,234 | 78% |
| NICKELODEON | 90,234 | 78% |
| NICKTOONS | 63,455 | 55% |
| OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK (Formerly Discovery Health) | 79,231 | 68% |
| OUTDOOR CHANNEL | 38,531 | 33% |
| OVATION NETWORK | 46,602 | 40% |
| OXYGEN MEDIA | 76,486 | 66% |
| POP (Formerly TV GUIDE NETWORK) | 76,817 | 66% |
| REELZCHANNEL | 66,050 | 57% |
| RFD-TV | 42,670 | 37% |
| SCIENCE (Formerly SCIENCE CHANNEL) | 70,862 | 61% |
| SHOWTIME | 29,519 | 25% |
| SHOWTIME PRIME | 29,188 | 25% |
| SMITHSONIAN | 37,410 | 32% |
| SPIKE TV | 86,220 | 74% |
| SPORTSMAN CHANNEL | 31,874 | 27% |
| SPROUT | 58,349 | 50% |
| STARZ | 31,383 | 27% |
| STARZ ENCORE (Formerly ENCORE) | 39,427 | 34% |
| STARZ ENCORE PRIMARY (Formerly ENCORE PRIMARY) | 37,302 | 32% |
| STARZ PRIMARY | 30,079 | 26% |
| SUNDANCE TV (Formerly SUNDANCE CHANNEL) | 59,746 | 51% |
| SYFY | 90,140 | 77% |
| TBS NETWORK | 92,096 | 79% |
| TEENNICK (Formerly THE N) | 69,657 | 60% |
| THE CARTOON NETWORK | 91,436 | 79% |
| THE WEATHER CHANNEL | 85,603 | 74% |
| TLC | 90,521 | 78% |
| TRAVEL CHANNEL | 85,945 | 74% |
| TRU TV (Formerly COURT TV) | 87,666 | 75% |
| TURNER NETWORK TELEVISION | 90,801 | 78% |
| TV LAND | 88,076 | 76% |
| TV ONE | 58,242 | 50% |
| UNIVISION DEPORTES | 47,181 | 41% |
| UP (Formerly GMC) | 69,639 | 60% |
| USA NETWORK | 92,129 | 79% |
| VELOCITY (Formerly HD THEATER) | 69,566 | 60% |
| VH1 | 88,155 | 76% |
| WE TV (Formerly Womens Entertainment) | 84,828 | 73% |
| WGN AMERICA (Formerly Superstation WGN) | 71,507 | 61% |
The curious can find the less text-y previous editions here.