ESPN proves it’s dominance, the 2011 year in review, records all over the field

Pulled from the company’s year in review, 2011:

In 2011, ESPN experienced record consumption cin its core television business and across digital platforms.

198 million Americans watched ESPN networks in the fourth quarter to date (85% of cable homes)

ESPN.com remained number one among sports fans for average audience, setting a sports category record in September.

ESPN Radio reaches 24 million listeners a week via more than 700 stations nationwide.

ESPN International spans 200 countries and territories on all seven continents and includes 48 television networks reaching over 350 million subscribers in 16 languages

ESPN the Magazine hit a new high with a record of nearly 16 million readers per issue in Fall 2011, and was the top magazine among men 18-34 for the fourth consecutive year.

ESPN Mobile attracted 70 percent of users seeking sports content. Partly due to the use of ESPN apps: ScoreCenter, ESPNRadio,  & Bowl Bound.

ESPN is:

  • 8 television networks in the U.S.
  • 48 international networks
  • 750 radio affiliates
  • 18 web sites
  • 5 channels in HD
  • The first 3D TV network
  • 13 international editions of SportsCenter
  • Largest mobile sports operation
  • 7,000 employees worldwide.

ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Conn., has increased to 116 acres, with a state-of-the-art digital production center and a second digital center under construction.

Surveys of cable operators ranked ESPN and ESPN2 the top two ad-supported cable networks.  ESPN was #1 for the 11th consecutive year, and for the seventh year operators considered ESPN the most important network in selling broadband or interactive TV services.

Longhorn Network debuted, focusing on athletics at the University of Texas.  The lineup features 200 exclusive events from 20 sports, original series and studio shows.

ESPN’s new president. In November, George Bodenheimer announced he would step away from the day-to-day responsibilities as ESPN president after 13 years. John Skipper, who joined ESPN in 1997 and has served as ESPN executive vice president, content, since 2005 will assume the role of ESPN president.

ESPN’s “best available screen” strategy – marrying content with technology, like the WatchESPN app, which allows viewers to watch content on their mobile devices. In the most recent survey, 113.4 million people interacted with ESPN during the average week (Spring 2011).

ESPN on multiple mediums. Increases in NFL and College Football revenue  helped the company lead the market in multiplatform deals, with nearly 75 percent of all deals of $2 million or more including at least one medium other than television.

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