NFL 2008 HISPANIC TV RECAP: 25 MILLION HISPANIC AMERICANS WATCHED NFL GAMES

NFL 2008 HISPANIC TV RECAP

25 MILLION HISPANIC AMERICANS WATCHED NFL GAMES

NFL GAMES: 7 OF THE 10 MOST-WATCHED

ENGLISH-LANGUAGE SHOWS THIS FALL

NFL REGULAR-SEASON RATINGS EXCEED OTHER SPORTS’ PLAYOFFS

NFL VIEWERSHIP 98 PERCENT HIGHER

THAN OTHER PRIMETIME PROGRAMMING

Hispanic football fans across America watched NFL games in large numbers in 2008. According to Nielsen Media Research, 25 million Hispanic Americans watched NFL regular-season games in 2008.

Among Hispanics, the top two, and seven of the 10 most-watched shows among all English-language TV  programming this fall are NFL games (chart below).  NBC’s December 14 Giants-Cowboys game is the most-watched English-language show of the broadcast season among Hispanics with 1.9 million Hispanic viewers.

NFL games are also the five highest rated English-language shows among Hispanic households this fall (chart below).  NFL games were the highest rated English-language show among Hispanic households in 14 of the season’s 17 weeks.

NFL games on CBS, FOX and NBC averaged 966,000 Hispanic viewers – 98 percent higher than the average primetime Hispanic viewership among the four major over-the-air networks (489,000 average on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC).  Among Hispanics, NFL games were also the most-watched and highest rated English-language shows for CBS, FOX, NBC and ESPN this fall.

2008 NFL Sunday national games on CBS and FOX averaged 1.256 million Hispanic viewers which exceeds playoff broadcast averages for other sports:  2008 MLB World Series (1.189 million Hispanic viewers) on Fox, 2008 UEFA Euro Cup Final (Germany-Spain, 733,000 viewers) on ABC, and the Daytona 500 (533,000 viewers) on FOX.

For the Fall TV season, NFL games rank as the top three, and five of the seven English-language programs on network television in average Hispanic viewership (chart below).

2008 NFL Wildcard Weekend (1/3 & 1/4/09) is the most-watched Wildcard Weekend among Hispanics in five years, averaging 1.4 million viewers.

Following are the most-watched English-language shows among Hispanics:

Rank/Net/Program                                                        Hispanic viewers (P2+)
1. NBC Sunday Night Football (Giants at Cowboys)-12/14/08                       1.863 million
2. FOX: NFL Sunday National (mostly Cowboys at Cardinals)-10/12/08      1.636 million
3. MTV: 2008 Video Music Awards-9/7/08                                  1.606 million
4. FOX: NFL Sunday National (mostly Cowboys at Giants)-11/2/08          1.591 million
5. FOX: NFL Thanksgiving Day (Seahawks at Cowboys)-11/27/08             1.563 million
6. FOX: MLB World Series Game 5 conclusion (TB at PHI)-10/29/08         1.510 million
7. NBC: Sunday Night Football (Cowboys at Packers)-9/21/08                      1.467 million
7. FOX: NFL Sunday National (mostly Redskins at Cowboys)-9/28/08                1.467 million
9. Nickelodeon: Spongebob Squarepants (WhoBob WhatPants?)-10/13/08              1.466 million
10. CBS: NFL Sunday National (mostly Patriots at Jets)-9/14/08          1.449 million
Source: NFL, Nielsen Company, Galaxy Explorer (Hispanic sample, 9/1/08-12/28/08)

Following are the highest rated English-language shows among Hispanics Households:

Rank/Net/Program                                                        Hispanic HH ratings
1. NBC Sunday Night Football (Giants at Cowboys)-12/14/08                       9.5
2. FOX: NFL Sunday National (mostly Cowboys at Cardinals)-10/12/08      9.0
3. FOX: NFL Sunday National (mostly Cowboys at Steelers)-12/7/08                8.6
4. FOX: NFL Sunday National (mostly Cowboys at Giants)-11/2/08          8.4
4. NBC: Sunday Night Football (Cowboys at Packers)-9/21/08                      8.4
6. FOX: MLB World Series Game 5 conclusion (TB at PHI)-10/29/08         8.2
7. CBS: NFL Sunday National (mostly Patriots at Jets)-9/14/08                   7.8
8. FOX: NFL Sunday National (mostly Redskins at Cowboys)-9/28/08                7.7
9. CBS: NFL Sunday National (mostly Bengals at Cowboys)-10/5/08         7.5
10. Nickelodeon: Spongebob Squarepants (WhoBob WhatPants?)-10/13/08     7.4
Source: NFL, Nielsen Company, Galaxy Explorer (Hispanic sample, 9/1/08-12/28/08)
Following are the top network television weekly English-language programs nationally in average Hispanic viewers:

Rank/Net/Program                                                        Hispanic viewers (P2+)
1. FOX Sunday National Game                                     1.367 million
2. CBS Sunday National Game                                     1.144 million
3. NBC Sunday Night Football                                            1.020 million
4. ABC Dancing with the Stars                                           0.928 million
5. ABC Desperate Housewives                                             0.892 million
6. FOX Sunday Single Game                                               0.885 million
7. CBS Sunday Single Game                                               0.883 million
8. ABC Dancing with the Stars Results                                   0.880 million
9. FOX Family Guy                                                       0.870 million
10. ABC Grey’s Anatomy                                          0.800 million
Source: NFL, Nielsen Company, Galaxy Explorer (Hispanic sample, 9/1/08-12/28/08)

Broadcast Notes:
Regional – First window of a doubleheader
National – Second window of a doubleheader
Single – Only window on network not airing doubleheader that week