ESPN2 ratings of DCI broadcast exceed expectations
Audience measurement results from the broadcast of the 2005 Drum Corps International World Championship on ESPN2 last week indicated that the program achieved a viewership exceeding 435,000 U.S. households.
These numbers are based on results presented to DCI by ESPN2, and demonstrate that the first-ever cable broadcast of the championship event was on par with major professional sporting events shown on the network, even surpassing average viewership ratings for National Hockey League broadcasts. According to ESPN's Web site, in the 2003-2004 season, NHL games on ESPN drew an audience in 416,000 homes, and games on ESPN2 were watched in 209,000 homes.
The DCI ESPN2 broadcast also surpassed the viewership of other ESPN programming. For instance, ESPN2 has averaged 407,000 households for nine hours of live coverage during its first three days of all-day coverage of Wimbledon, according to NewsMultiChannel. Meanwhile, 431,161 households tuned in for a single showing of the men's billiards final in mid-July, according to the Billiard Congress of America.
"We're delighted to see such a strong viewership of the DCI World Championship telecast on ESPN2", said Dan Acheson, executive director of Drum Corps International. "The success of the program exceeded our expectations, and we have received tremendous feedback from viewers throughout the country and from our broadcast sponsors as well. We intend to build on this success by continuing to promote Drum Corps International and its member corps as national brands, with a wide reach into the youth market", Acheson said. (Text: dci.org)
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