A few notes via ESPN XP research:
- Out-of-home TV viewing would lift TV ratings by 14%, and use of non-TV platforms would have added another 32%.
- The 2010 World Cup ranks as the ESPN networks’ most-watched World Cup ever. ESPN TV networks delivered more than 3.2 million average viewers per live game, an increase of 41% over the 2006 World Cup.
- The 3.2 million average viewers [per game] become 4.7 million average consumers when out-of-home TV viewing and usage of other platforms is included.
- ABC's coverage of the 2010 Final (Netherlands/Spain) had an average audience of 15,544,517 viewers making it the most-watched Men’s World Cup telecast ever. We estimate the out-of-home/Non-TV lift at 17%, making our total average audience 18.1 million.
- Generally speaking, the lower the in-home TV viewing as measured by Nielsen, the greater the lift from out-of-home viewing and usage of other platforms. For the last day of match play for Group B (Tuesday June 22) the lift was 235%.
Not surprisingly, due to the times the games aired, out of home viewing was greater on the east coast, but west coasters time-shifted more.
- Highest Rated Markets Included Miami, New York, Washington D.C., San Diego and San Francisco
- West coast TV viewers had nearly twice as much time-shifted viewing as viewers on the East coast (12.5% vs 6.4%).
- However, East coast viewers were more likely to watch TV in out-of-home locations than West coast viewers. This viewing would lift TV ratings by 11.6% on the West coast but 16.6% on the East coast.
