Nielsen Year in Sports Report Feb 2016

YEAR IN
SPORTS
MEDIA
REPORT
2015
STEPHEN MASTER, SVP
SPORTS, NIELSEN
Welcome to Nielsens State of the Media: 2015 Year in Sports Media Report, a compilation of media
highlights, advertiser trends and consumer insights across leading sports properties.
The growing influence of Netflix, Amazon Prime, on demand/time shifting, streaming, and social media
are all having a dramatic impact on the way people are consuming content and changing the landscape of
linear TV. However, despite all of the new devices and media fragmentation, sports programming remains
an outlier from other genres of content. As live TV viewership and engagement numbers across all screens
continues to get stronger, sports content continues to thrive.
While its great to see that TV is as strong as ever for engaging sports fans, weve made it a priority in
2015 to deliver a complete view of our clients audience their Total Audience on all platforms, including
mobile, on-demand or through over-the-top devices. Most importantly, were working to make sure our
media and sports clients have this complete view with metrics that are apple-to-apples, so when fans
livestream games and events online, they can stack their digital and TV audience side by-side in a truly
comparable way.
From the introduction of Total Audience Ratings to Talent Analytics, Nielsens FANALYTICS platform
what we refer to as the collective intelligence and insights around sports consumerscontinues to evolve,
helping our clients gain a deeper understanding of the sports fan.
Weve made it a priority in 2015 to deliver

a complete view of our clients audience their Total Audience
on all platforms
As youll see inside these pages, sports fans passion for their favorite athletes and teams continues
to strengthen and below are some of the highlights that transpired on and off the field in 2015:
Despite the Deflategate controversy surrounding the AFC Championship Game, Tom Brady and the
Pats were able to hang on for their fourth Super Bowl win. The thrilling finish and the debate regarding
the air pressure in the footballs prior to kickoff resulted in yet another TV record for the Super Bowl,
as 114.4 million viewers tuned in.
LeBrons return to his hometown Cavaliers was the biggest story throughout the 2014-15 NBA season
and it didnt take long for him to turn Cleveland around. He brought the Cavaliers back to the NBA
Finals after their four-year playoff drought, which began with his decision to take his talents to South
Beach. However, the running and gunning style of play of the Golden State Warriors, led by Steph
Curry, prolonged Clevelands championship drought for at least one more year. The LeBron vs. Steph
matchup was thrilling for fans, as the back-and-forth series, which the Warriors ended up winning
in six games, averaged 19.9 million viewers. It was the most watched NBA Finals since the Michael
Jordan led Bulls era in the late 90s.
2 NIELSEN YEAR IN SPORTS REPORT

With their win over the Mets, the Royals brought Kansas City its first professional sports championship
in 30 years. Despite the 2015 World Series only going 5 games, compared to the 7 played in 2014, average
viewership for the series was still up 6%. The Royals recent success on the diamond, with back-to-back
World Series appearances, definitely has fans embracing the team like never before. Over 77% of Kansas
City adults are currently fans of the team, an astounding 41% increase since 2013, a time when they
struggled to get people into the ballpark, or to tune in to their games.
The Chicago Blackhawks raising Lord Stanleys Cup in 2015 for the third time over the past six seasons
has made them Americas Team among U.S. hockey fans. Viewership of the Hawks Game 6 Cup
clinchers in 2010, 2013 and 2015 are 3 out of the top 4 most viewed NHL telecasts since the early 1970s.
The Chicago Tampa Cup in 2015 averaged 5.6 million viewers, which was up 11% from the 2014 Cup
that featured the NY Rangers and LA Kings, residents of the two largest U.S. television markets.
FIFA certainly endured its share of off-the-field controversy in 2015, but the scandal surrounding FIFAs
leadership in Europe did nothing to dampen the excitement in the U.S. The amazing performance of the
U.S. Womens National team at the World Cup this summer, including Carli Lloyds hat trick in the Final,
Hope Solos solid goaltending and Abby Wambachs leadership had Americans embracing this World
Cup team like none other. The U.S. Japan Final game drew 23.6 million viewers, which is up 67% over
the same exact match-up in the 2011 World Cup Final.
NASCAR started its new Chase format last season and 2015 saw a change in TV broadcast partners,
as coverage for the Chase switched back to NBC & NBC Sports Network. Kyle Busch completed his
emotional comeback from a season-opening injury to capture his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
title. Over 7.6M viewers tuned in to the championship to watch Busch battle long-time fan favorite
Jeff Gordon, who was retiring after the race, a 46% increase from last year and the highest rating for
NASCARs season finale since 2005.
The Kentucky Wildcats garnered the majority of the headlines during the 2014-15 college hoops season
and headed into the Final Four with a perfect 38 0 record, but an upset by the Wisconsin Badgers
denied them a perfect season and busted a lot of brackets. Even without the Wildcats, the NCAA Finals
matchup between Duke and Wisconsin generated a huge audience, as 28.3 million viewers watched
the Blue Devils give Coach K his fifth championship. The Finals audience was up 33% over 2014
and the most watched NCAA Final in 18 years; social media engagement for the Final game was up 45%
over 2014.
The Crimson Tide won their fourth College Football title under Nick Saban, but unfortunately, not as
many fans tuned in to see the Tide roll to another championship. In their infinite wisdom to move
the semifinal games to December 31st instead of January 1st, the College Football Playoff Committee
lost plenty of casual college football fans to New Years Eve festivities. While the Orange and Cotton
Bowls still drew strong viewership numbers when compared to the major bowl games of the BCS era,
viewership was down 45% and 34% from their respective semifinal games last season.
I hope you enjoy these highlights from across Nielsens wealth of consumer and media insights. 2015
continued to prove that sports content, across all media platforms, continues to flourish and prosper!
Sincerely,
Stephen Master
Copyright 2016 The Nielsen Company 3

SPORTS CONSUMPTION STRONG
DESPITE MEDIA FRAGMENTATION
Sports accounted
for 93 of the top
Over the last 10 years, the media market has undergone a drastic transformation,
which has positively affected sports on TV. There is an enormous amount of sports
content to choose from and a shocking amount of hours viewed. In 2015, there were
100 live viewed over 127,000 hours of sports programming available on broadcast and cable TV
and 31+ billion hours spent viewing sports, which is up 160% and 41% respectively
TV programs from 2005.
in 2015, compared While the rise in time-shifted viewing largely altered viewership trends for most
program genres, live viewing remains the standard for sports. According to TV data
to 14 in 2005 from Q4 2015, 95% of total sports program viewing happened live. In comparison,
only 66% of General Drama viewers watched live, likely as a result of the increased
number of outlets that are now available to catch up on a missed episode.
THEN AND NOW: TOP 100 LIVE TV PROGRAMS
2005 2015
14% 93%
% sports programs
Based on P2+ Average Audience Projections

THE NEED FOR TOTAL AUDIENCE COMPARISON
Nielsen is striving to ensure that digital audiences will be compared to TV audiences on an apple to apples comparison. A recent
example proves the current disconnect in the way numbers are measured and reported. The NFL streaming example below demon-
strates the need for this true comparison, as streaming reach was initially compared to an average minute audience on TV.
COMPARABLE METRICS
Reach Average Minutes Audience
15.2M NFL STREAMING AUDIENCE 1.6M
44.1M AVERAGE NFL TELECAST 18.2M
25.0M LOWEST-RATED NFL TELECAST 8.4M
ENGAGEMENT ON OTHER PLATFORMS

While live sports are viewed on TV, sports news and updates are consumed across platforms. This trend results in sports
dominating conversation via other platforms such as Social and Digital. Despite what some may think content consumption via
various channels actually complements TV viewing rather than cannibalizes it.
TV PROGRAMMING VS. SOCIAL TV ACTIVITY TIME SPENT ON SMARTPHONES INCREASES

According to Nielsen Social, in 2015 Sports Events only make In 2015, there was over 69 billion minutes, or 1.2 billion hours,
up 1.4% of TV programming and close to 50% of all Twitter spent on sports sites via smartphones. This is up an impressive
TV conversation. In 2016, Nielsen Social will expand its Twitter 22% from 2014.
TV measurement to include Facebook topic data for the first
time. Nielsen Social Content Ratings will be the first solution
to measure total aggregate-level program activity on Facebook
and Twitter, while respecting and in full compliance with TOTAL MINUTES SPENT ON SPORTS SITES VIA SMARTPHONE
consumer privacy.
2014 57B
2015 70B
*Sum of UA across 2015
TOP 5 MOBILE SITES

Brands for English Language (by Total $ Spend)
1.4%
of TV
programs
49.7% 1
2
ESPN DIGITAL NETWORK
NFL INTERNET NETWORK
of Twitter TV
activity 3 CBS SPORTS
4 MLB.COM
SPORTS PROGRAMS OTHER PROGRAMS 5 FOX SPORTS DIGITAL

FANTASY SPORTS: Enhancing Live TV Viewing Experience
Although obvious when looking at the tremendous growth it has seen, Fantasy sports participation is a key way fans have used
digital platforms and technology to enhance their live TV viewing experience.
Daily fantasy usage drastically increased in 2014 as it broke into the mainstream market. The ubiquity of daily fantasy ads have
paid off for the two major players in the game. In 2015, there was a 72% increase in Unique Audience for PC and a 163% increase
in Unique Audience for smartphones across top daily fantasy sites. It will be interesting to see how 2016 unfolds given the current
regulatory discussions.
PC Smartphone
+72% 8.8M 2015 7.9M +163%

5.1M 2014 3M
Data from the two top daily fantasy websites
SPORTS RADIO AUDIENCE

Not only is sports consumption increasing on TV and digital outlets, but sports radio listenership is on the rise as well. From
2011 to 2015, the Average Quarter-Hour (AQH) share increased 12% (4.1% to 4.6%), and showed steady increases year over year.
October of 2015 experienced the highest AQH shares of the year at 5.5% as the MLB Playoffs, NFL and college football seasons
were in full swing. According to a Nielsen Audio cumulative reach study, over 30.2 million people listened to an NFL game on the
radio over the course of the 2014-15 season.
AQH SHARE (P6+) FOR SPORTS RADIO

4.6%
4.3% 4.4%
4.1% 4.2%
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

CAPTURING OUT OF HOME VIEWING
In addition to in-home viewing and social media and digital activity, sports content consumption also occurs out of home (OOH).
Viewership in bars, restaurants, hotels, gyms and friends houses contribute to large increases in TV audiences. In 2015, substantial
lifts were seen for the MLB World Series and NFL regular season on FOX.
Out of home viewing accounted for a 15.2% overall lift in average TV audience (P6+) across the 5 games of the 2015 MLB World
Series. This lift was even larger (26.9%) for persons 18-34, whose social lives revolve around the local bar. The largest OOH lifts
can be attributed to the two games played on weekend nights, when the bars and restaurants are packed with fans cheering on
their favorite teams. Impressively, it seems that trick-or-treating took a back seat to the World Series this year, as the largest spike
in OOH came on Halloween Night.
The NFL regular season on FOX saw a 19.1% lift in P6+ viewership when including out-of-home tuning. The notable lifts came
from both the beginning and end of the season, when excitement is at an all-time high. Like the MLB, the largest OOH lifts can be
attributed to the millennial audience. For the NFL regular season on FOX, lift for persons 18-34 was 30.7%.
WORLD SERIES ON FOX

Average Audience OOH Lift by Game
46%
42%
33%
26% 26% 32%

23%
OOH % Lift
22%
18%
22% 22% 21%
13% 12% 12%
TUESDAY WEDNESDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

oct 27 oct 28 oct 30 oct 31 nov 1
P6+ P1834 M1834
NFL ON FOX
Average Audience OOH lift by Week

23.6%
19.7% 20.6% 19.0%
18.9%
17.3%
19.1%
total season
week 1 week 2 week 9 week 10 week 15 week 16
P6+
World Series on FOX and NFL on FOX out of home data from Nielsen Audio PPM Panel

WOMENS WORLD CUP
THE U.S. WOMENS NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM HAS BROUGHT
SOCCER FEVER BACK TO THE UNITED STATES. It seems that
we all have the bug, as their World Cup Final match versus Japan averaged 23.6
million viewers, a striking 67% increase from this exact same finals matchup in 2011.
The U.S. Women climbed the ranks to become the top womens national soccer team,
hoisting their third Cup in the tournaments 7th edition, sparking the interest of young
girls both on and off of the pitch. The 2015 Womens World Cup Final was not only
the most-watched English language soccer match in U.S. history, but it was also the
3rd most viewed non-football sporting event of 2015. This was largely propelled by the
female viewer, who accounted for over 43% of the viewership.
TIMELINE OF TV VIEWERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS

Average Audience Projections in Millions
june 08 june 16 june 26 july 04

USA vs. Australia USA vs. Nigeria USA vs. China Germany vs. England
FS1*/NBC Universo FOX*/NBC Universo FOX*/NBC Universo FOX*/NBC Universo
412,000 207,000 279,000 33,000
3.3M | 0.2M 5.0M | 0.1M 5.7M | 0.1M 2.5M | 0.1M
3.5 4.6 5.2 5.0 5.9 8.6 2.6 23.6
june 12 june 22 june 30 july 05

USA vs. Sweden USA vs. Colombia USA vs. Germany USA vs. Japan
FOX*/NBC Universo FS1*/NBC Universo FOX*/NBC Universo FOX/Telemundo*
153,000 342,000 940,000 3,453,000
4.5M | 0.1M 4.7M | 0.3M 8.4M | 0.1M 22.3M | 1.3M
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE AUDIENCE SPANISH LANGUAGE AUDIENCE Total Tweets
*For multicast events, metrics ref lect the highest Tweets across all airing networks, denoted with an asterisk

INCREASED INTEREST FROM YOUNG FEMALE FANS
Unique reach has grown substantially (+37%; P2+) from the 2011 to 2015 Womens World Cup, both of which had the Japan
and US National teams in the final a true apple to apples comparison. Even more impressive is the increase in the reach
of females, which saw an astonishing 57% (F2+) growth from the 2011 Womens World Cup.
REACH OF YOUNG FANS
Young women really took to the U.S. National team, as the growth of female reach far surpassed that of men the same age.
2011 1442 982 5309 3016

2015 1558 1450 4884 4310
GROWTH +8% +48% -8% +43%
A DEEPER LOOK AT THE FANS

NON-HISPANIC
HISPANICWhite, Black, and NON-HISPANIC
NON-HISPANIC
The Womens World Cup saw impressive growth in Non-Hispanic BLACK
Asian ASIAN story than
reach. This is a very different
WHITE
what was seen for the 2014 Mens World Cup, which saw a 13% increase from the already large Hispanic viewership base, compared
to the 2010 tournament.
MULTICULTURAL REACH
2011 38,525 17,456 4227 2499

2015 60,061 16,543 7358 3768
GROWTH +56% -5% +74% +51%
FEMALE AVERAGE MINUTES WATCHED

Mens World Cup Womens World Cup Brands for English Language Brands for Spanish Language
2014 2015 (by Total $ Spend) (by Total $ Spend)
814 146 NATIONWIDE INSURANCE 1 ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV

FIAT 500 AUTOS 2 FORD MOTOR COMPANY
320 173 BUD LIGHT 3 AT&T
HISPANIC FEMALE
AUDI 4 DISH NETWORK
NON-HISPANIC FEMALE FORD TRANSIT VANS 5 ITT EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

NFL
WHETHER OR NOT YOU MARKED THE PATRIOTS AFC
CHAMPIONSHIP WITH AN ASTERISK, fans certainly did not shy away from
viewing Super Bowl XLIX. Over 114M viewers tuned in, a 2% increase from the year before,
making it the most-watched television program in U.S. history. Despite his late game
heroics, Tom Bradys reputation deflated. According to Nielsen Talent Analytics, Bradys
Awareness Score among the general population remained predictably high coming
off his Super Bowl win. However, his Likeability and Dependability scores among those
aware of him decreased by 10% and 14% respectively, and his Offensive score increased
by 45%.
The momentum for the NFL continued into the 2015 season as NBCs Sunday Night
Football finished the regular season as the No. 1 show in fall TV primetime for the fifth
consecutive time.

jan 04, 2015 jan 11, 2015 jan 18, 2015 sep 10, 2015
NFC Wildcard NFC Divisional Playoff NFC Championship Thursday Night Kickoff
Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers Pittsburgh Steelers vs.
Dallas Cowboys Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle Seahawks New England Patriots
FOX FOX FOX NBC
2,456,000 3,007,000 3,332,000 1,388,000
42.3 34.0 44.4 42.1 49.8 114.4 27.4 32.5
jan 10, 2015 jan 18, 2015 feb 01, 2015

nov 26, 2015
AFC Divisional Playoff AFC Championship Super Bowl
Baltimore Ravens vs. Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots Thanksgiving Classic
New England Patriots New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks Panthers vs. Cowboys
NBC CBS NBC CBS
1,779,000 1,848,000 25,068,000 1,006,000
Total Tweets

THE CHAMPIONS OF ADVERTISING
The Super Bowl is not only the biggest sporting event of the year but it is also the biggest advertising event of the year . Viewers
who dont like football often tune in just to watch the ads and over half of the audience looks forward to watching the commercials
more than the game itself. While the $4.5 million charged for a 30 second spot is certainly a lot of money, it is not just the enormous
Reach brands get from their investment but the ads also perform significantly better.
When we look across Super Bowls from 2010 to 2015, Brand Memorability of ads within the Super Bowl is about 55% more effective
than the average sports programming ad outside of the Super Bowl. This number grows to 60% when we compare Super Bowl ads to
the average non-sports programming ad.
It is interesting to see how this impacts brands. Anheuser-Busch InBev has been a top Super Bowl advertiser in terms
of ad expenditures over the past 5 years. Brand Memorability for Budweiser and Bud Light commercials within Super Bowl XLIX was
112% more effective than their brand norm across broadcast and cable.
HISTORICAL SUPER BOWL AD EFFECTIVENESS BUDWEISER/BUD LIGHT AD EFFECTIVENESS
Historical Super Bowl

57% Budweiser/Bud Light 60%
Super Bowl XLIX on NBC
Performance
45% feb 01, 2015 55%
feb 07, 2010 feb 01, 2015
Non-Sports Programming 46% Brand Norm 41%

Broadcast /Cable Broadcast/Cable
28% 26%
Sports Programming Norm 45% Category Norm 39%

Broadcast/Cable* Broadcast/Cable
29% 23%
*Based on P13+ survey responses from AD MEMORABILITY *Based on P21+ survey responses from AD MEMORABILITY
January 24, 2010 - February 15, 2015 BRAND MEMORABILITY February 16, 2014 February 15, 2015 BRAND MEMORABILITY
LOCAL FAN INSIGHTS

While both Patriots and Seahawks fans enjoy throwing back a few coldies on a Sunday afternoon, the difference lies in their beer of
choice. These differences also carry over to Monday morning, when both fans take to their hometown
coffee chains to jump start their week.
PATRIOTS FANS SEAHAWKS FANS TOP NATIONAL ADVERTISERS
Boston-based Sam Adams Coors Light is the favorite Brands by Total $ Spend
is most popular among Pats among Seahawks fans, as they
fans, as they are 22% more
likely to drink Sam Adams
are 21% more likely to enjoy
a Coors Light than the typical 1 VERIZON WIRELESS
than the typical Boston adult
*P21+
Seattle adult
*P21+ 2 MCDONALDS
Pats fans represent 72% of
all Boston Dunkin Donuts
Seahawks fans represent 77%
of all Seattle Starbucks
3 BUD LIGHT
customers customers 4 DIRECTV
5 MICROSOFT SURFACE PRO 3

NBA
DESPITE LEBRON JAMES HIGHLY ANTICIPATED RETURN TO
CLEVELAND, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors stole the show in
2015. Although the 2015 NBA Finals marked LeBrons 5th straight Finals appearance,
it was the Curry effect that helped to propel viewership to 19.9 million, roughly a 115%
increase from LeBrons first final appearance with the Cavaliers, back in 2007.
After a fitting end to a record breaking season, the 2015 NBA Finals Champion,
Golden State Warriors started the 15-16 season right where they left off. With a record
of 24-0, Golden State had the best start in U.S. professional sports history. The play
of Steph Curry and his Warriors continues to attract impressive attention, as local
viewership for Warriors games on CSN-BA averaged 298,000 through December 2015,
a 120% increase from the previous year.

feb 15 may 20-may 26 jun 25

(4 telecasts)
NBA All-Star NBA Draft
TBS/TNT*
Eastern Conference Finals ESPN
1,076,000 Atlanta Hawks vs. 2,454,000
Cleveland Cavaliers
TNT
2,494,000
TBS: 1.2M TNT: 6.0M
7.2 7.4 6.8 19.9 3.7 11.2
may 19-may 27 jun 4-jun16

(5 telecasts) (6 telecasts)
Western Conference Finals NBA Finals dec 25
Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors NBA Christmas Day

Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Cavaliers vs. Warriors
ESPN ABC ABC
3,658,000 18,316,000 506,000
Total Tweets
* Total Tweets across all events in the Western Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, and NBA Finals.

STEPH CURRY AND LEBRON JAMES DRIVE SOCIAL
BUZZ FOR UNDER ARMOUR AND NIKE
These two superstars also drove earned media CHANGE IN AVERAGE DAILY UNDER ARMOUR TWEETS
on Twitter for their respective endorsement brands. 2015 NBA FINALS VS. PRE-CAMPAIGN PERIOD
With Stephen Curry extending his endorsement deal
with Under Armour through 2024, and LeBron James PROGRAM 148%
signing a lifetime deal with Nike, these all-stars have AUTHORS
already proved to be a worthwhile investment.
According to Nielsen Social, which measured the effect NON-PROGRAM

of the 2015 NBA Finals on Twitter activity for Nike AUTHORS
29.7%
and Under Armour, 2015 NBA Finals authors sent almost
2.5X more Under Armour Tweets during the NBA Finals
than they did during the playoffs. Stephen Curry and his
remarkable performance have boosted Under Armour into
one of the leading positions in the basketball industry. CHANGE IN AVERAGE DAILY NIKE TWEETS
2015 NBA FINALS VS. PRE-CAMPAIGN PERIOD
It should come as no surprise that Nike, a trailblazer
in the market for over 40 years, signed one of the
most dominant NBA players to the companys first PROGRAM
lifetime contract.
13.3%
AUTHORS
According to Nielsen Social, during the 2015 NBA Finals,

Nike Twitter activity increased by 13.3% for 2015 NBA NON-PROGRAM
Finals Authors, while it decreased by 5.7% for non 2015 -5.7%
AUTHORS
NBA Finals authors. It is clear that with each soaring dunk
and step back 3 pointer, these two superstars continue
to elevate their respective brands to new heights.
* pre-campaign period was 2 weeks prior to NBA Finals
LOCAL FAN INSIGHTS

The San Francisco Bay Area is home to Silicon Valley, the tech capital of the world, and countless technology companies, perhaps most
famously Apple. Not surprisingly, a higher percentage of Warriors fans (82%) own smartphones than Cavs fans (69%), with a strong
preference for the iPhone. The Warriors recent success also seems to be getting the affluent Bay area digerati onto their bandwagon,
as their fan base is one of the most affluent in the NBA, particularly when compared to Cavaliers fans.
WARRIORS FANS CAVALIERS FANS TOP NATIONAL ADVERTISERS

Brands by Total $ Spend
49% own an iPhone 33% own an iPhone
1 STATE FARM INSURANCE
2 TACO BELL
3 SAMSUNG GALAXY
$108,000 average
household income
$72,000 average
household income
4 SPRINT
5 KIA OPTIMA

MLB
ALTHOUGH BACK TO THE FUTURE PREDICTED THE CUBS
WOULD WIN THE WORLD SERIES, they came up short. However, their
exciting playoff run certainly generated interest from fans, as viewership for the League
Championship Series on TBS grew. The Cubs presence in the NLCS helped lift TBS
viewership by 55% compared to the prior years ALCS Royals and Orioles matchup.
The World Series showdown between the Kansas City Royals and the New York Mets saw
average viewership of almost 15 million across the 5 games, representing a 6.3% increase
from the prior year. In terms of individual contests, HH ratings for Games 1, 3, and 5 were
all the highest figures, respectively, over the past six seasons.

april 05 july 14 oct 07 oct 16-oct 23

(6 telecasts)
MLB Opening Day MLB All-Star Game NL Wildcard Game
Chicago Cubs vs. FOX Pittsburgh Pirates ALCS Playoffs
St. Louis Cardinals 606,000 vs. Chicago Cubs Kansas City Royals
ESPN2 TBS vs. Toronto Blue Jays
222,000 899,000 FOX*/FS1*
917,000
*U.S. only viewership
3.4 7.1 10.9 7.6 8.3 7.9 3.9 14.7
oct 17-oct 21 oct 27-nov 01

oct 06 (4 telecasts) (5 telecasts)
AL Wildcard Game NLCS Playoffs World Series

july 13 Chicago Cubs vs. Kansas City Royals
New York Yankees
MLB Home Run Derby vs. Houston Astros New York Mets vs. New York Mets
ESPN ESPN TBS FOX
605,000 577,000 1,865,000 3,506,000
Total Tweets
*For multicast events, metrics ref lect the highest Tweets across all airing networks, denoted with an asterisk

GROWTH IN HISPANIC VIEWERS
The 2015 World Series gave MLB fans a matchup of powerhouses
HISPANIC VIEWERSHIP BY ETHNICITY
on both sides of the plate. While average viewership saw
a 6% increase from the 2014 World Series, what is more notable COMPOSITION: 2014 WORLD SERIES VS.
is the 30% increase from Hispanic viewers of English-language 2015 WORLD SERIES
World Series telecasts. The MLB made a concerted effort to reach
Hispanic fans and it paid off. More Hispanic viewers are tuning
in to English-language telecasts, and theyre also watching 4% 2015
8%
for longer, as they averaged 205 minutes of tune in over the
course of the 5-game series, an impressive 11% increase from 4% 5% 2014
2014s 7-game series.
41% 27%
In looking at the percent composition of Hispanic viewers
for the two World Series we see a dramatic shift in percentage
of Mexican viewers. San Franciscos participation in the 2014 55% 33%
World Series may have influenced Mexican viewership as they 9%
represented 55% of that Fall Classics Hispanic audience. The
substitution of New York on the National League side in 2015
may have led to this figure dropping to 33% and upticks for
Puerto Ricans (14%) and Dominicans (8%). The strong Puerto
CUBAN
Rican and Dominican communities of New York City could have 14%
DOMINICAN
played a role, but player nationality may have factored in as
MEXICAN
well. Three of the Royals ace pitchers hail from the Dominican
PUERTO RICAN
Republic, as do key Mets players.
OTHER*
*Includes other Hispanic ethnicities such as Argentinean, Colombian, Ecuadorian, Salvadorean, etc.
as well as respondents identifying with more than one ethnicity.
LOCAL FAN INSIGHTS

Both teams fans like their Quick Service (fast food) restaurants and love their Big Macs as 43% of Royals and 40% of Mets fans visited
McDonalds at least once a month. Royals fans also have a strong affinity for Sonic, as 29% ate there in the past month. These tech savvy
fans love their smartphones equally, as 74% of both Mets & Royals fans have one, but they remain loyal to their hometown cell phone
service providers.
ROYALS FANS METS FANS TOP NATIONAL ADVERTISERS

1
Visit QSR 5.5 times in an Visit QSR 4.6 times in an
average month average month T-MOBILE
2 GEICO
21% of fans use Kansas 3 TACO BELL
4
8% of fans use Sprint, but 41%
City-based Sprint as their
wireless carrier and 20% of
of fans use New York-based BUDWEISER
5
Verizon as their wireless carrier
fans use Verizon
DIRECTV

NHL
THE WINTER CLASSIC MAY BE LOSING ITS NOVELTY WITH
FANS as the 2016 match-up between the Canadiens and Bruins had an average audience
that was down -21% from 2015 and -38% from 2014. Montreals win ranks as the lowest
rated and least-watched Winter Classic ever (dates back to 2008).
Although the NHL Winter Classic ratings and viewership hit lows for the second straight
year, the 2015 Playoffs gave NHL fans barn burners. Fans watched as the Chicago
Blackhawks took home their third Stanley Cup since 2010. The Finals between the
Blackhawks and the Tampa Bay Lightning saw an 11% increase in viewership from the year
prior. The excitement around the Stanley Cup was expectedly high in Chicago, reflected in
the 41.0 HH local rating, marking the highest to date for any Blackhawks game.

jan 01, 2015 may 16-may 29 june 03-june 15

(7 telecasts) (6 telecasts)
Winter Classic
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Eastern Conference Finals Stanley Cup Finals
Washington Capitals NY Rangers vs. Chicago Blackhawks vs.
NBC
Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Lightning
159,000 NBC/NBCSN NBC/NBCSN
837,000 1,797,000
3.5 1.2 2.4 2.0 5.6 2.8
may 17-may 30
(7 telecasts)
jan 01, 2016
Western Conference
Finals Winter Classic
jan 25 Chicago Blackhawks vs. Montreal Canadiens
All Star Game Anaheim Ducks vs. Boston Bruins
NBCSN NBC/NBCSN NBC
128,000 1,016,000 56,000
Total Tweets
* Total Tweets across all events in the Western Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, and Stanley Cup Finals.

HOCKEY FANS JUST WANT MORE HOCKEY
NHL playoff viewers were committed for all 2 months of 2015 post- While the NHL is known for its rabid and diehard local fanbases,
season on ice action, with a 1st round viewership reach figure of a custom playoff intermission analysis that Nielsen conducted
just over 35 million. This accounted for more than half of the entire further shows how devoted fans were to the 2015 post-season.
playoffs nearly 70 million unique viewers. Across the four 1st round playoff games analyzed, an average
of 66% of viewers stayed tuned for the Intermission Report
PROGRESSIVE
REACH REACH
and an average of 8% tuned in to other playoff hockey games.
ROUND DEMO PROJ. (000) PROJ. LIFT % LIFT Additionally, an average of 76% of viewers stayed tuned for the
Intermission Reports during the 6 Stanley Cup Finals games.
ROUND 1 P2+ 35,367 N/A N/A
ROUND 2 P2+ 41,622 6,255 18%

% OF VIEWERS WHO STAYED FOR INTERMISSION REPORT
CONFERENCE P2+ 52,936 11,314 27%
FINALS
1 ST ROUND (4 GAMES) 66%
STANLEY CUP P2+ 69,923 16,987 32%
FINALS STANLEY CUP (6 GAMES) 76%
% OF VIEWERS TUNING TO HOCKEY DURING INTERMISSION (1ST ROUND GAMES)

6% 9% 1%* 16%
65% 65% 69% 63%
71% 74% 70% 79%
% Total Tuning to % Total Tuning to % Total Tuning to % Total Tuning to
Hockey During Hockey During Hockey During Hockey During
Intermission Intermission Intermission Intermission
CHI vs. NSH TB vs. DET NYR vs. PIT NYI vs. WSH
april 17 april 21 april 22 april 27
*other hockey games were on only during the last intermission. % STAYED TUNED TO CURRENT GAME % SWITCHING TO OTHER HOCKEY CONTENT
LOCAL FAN INSIGHTS

Like many hockey fans, Blackhawks and Lightning supporters frequently partake in having an adult beverage and not just beer, they enjoy
hard liquor as well, particularly Hawks fans. Both markets hockey fans also enjoy taking in a baseball game during the offseason until the
puck drops again in October.
BLACKHAWK FANS LIGHTNING FANS Top National Advertisers

27% more likely to drink 22% more likely to drink spirits
spirits than the typical
Chicago adult
than the typical Tampa adult
1 GEICO
*P21+ *P21+ 2 DISCOVER CREDIT CARD
3 MCDONALDS
4
38% attended either a Cubs 41% attended a Tampa Bay
or White Sox game in the Rays game in the past year SUBWAY
5
past year
COORS BEER

SOCCER
WHILE THE USWNTS WORLD CUP VICTORY WAS
UNQUESTIONABLY THE SOCCER STORY TO DOMINATE THE
U.S. SPORTS PRESS, 2015 saw tremendous excitement on pitches all over the
globe. On the tournament front, a scrappy Jamaican team upset the USMNT to advance
to the Gold Cup final, before losing to CONCACAF powerhouse, Mexico. El Tris Gold Cup
victory was watched by 6.5 million Americans, a 46% increase from 2013s final, with 5.7
million of those coming from Univisions telecast.
MLS and EPL ratings continued their strong performances from 2014. MLS champion,
Portland Timbers, made the most of their Knockout Round win by defeating Columbus
Crew in the MLS Cup. FC Barcelona bested Juventus to take the UEFA Champions League
title in a match that brought 3.7 million Americans in front of the TV, a 16% lift from Real
Madrids 2014 win. Liga MX also maintained its dominance in 2015. Tigres UANL returned
to its second Apertura final in a row, this time victorious, inspiring the second straight year
of close to 3 million viewers tuning in.

apr 26 jul 22 jul 29 dec 06

Liga MX Gold Cup-Semi MLS All-Star Game MLS Championship
Guadalajara vs. America USA vs. Jamaica FS1/UMA* Columbus/Portland
Univision*/UDN FS1/UMA* 61,000 ESPN
44,000 133,00 123,000
2.9 3.7 3.0 6.5 0.8 1.5 1.2 2.8
jun 06 jul 26 sep 12 dec 13

UEFA Champions Gold Cup-Final EPL Liga MX
League Final Mexico vs. Jamaica Liverpool vs. UNAM vs.
Juventus vs. Barcelona FS1*/Univision Manchester United Tigres UANL
FOX*/FOX Deportes 155,000 NBC/Telemundo* UniMas*/UDN
832,000 128,000 42,000
*For multicast events, networks are listed alphabetically and metrics ref lect the highest Tweets across all airing networks, denoted with an asterisk
Total Tweets

AMERICAS FUTURE SPORT
Although soccer (ftbol) lacks the distinction of being called In 2015 American soccer fans, and those on the cusp of conversion,
Americas Game, an honor bestowed to its U.S. gridiron cousin, had a wide variety of soccer programming to choose from,
evidence is mounting that it could be the U.S.s future sport. including international friendlies, club matches from various
According to Nielsen Scarborough, U.S. Adults 18-34 are almost leagues, the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and of course the 2015
twice as likely to have played soccer over the past 12 months Womens World Cup. All told, 2015 saw over 9,000 hours (about
as the average American. Ratings and viewership for the average 378 days) of live national soccer programming from more than
soccer match may still have a ways to go, before causing the NFL 20 networks (Note: duration of simulcasts were counted as well).
to break a sweat, but the television landscape, buoyed by Spanish The Hispanic viewing community is clearly helping lead the soccer
language telecasts and simulcasts, has begun to teem with live programming charge, with almost two thirds of live soccer content
soccer content. minutes coming from Spanish language networks.
2015 LIVE SOCCER PROGRAMMING: % BY DURATION

2%
9%
32% 29% 36% 64%
ESPN NETWORKS
FOX NETWORKS
NBC UNIVERSAL NETWORKS
15% UNIVISION NETWORKS

12%
BeIN MEDIA NETWORKS SPANISH LANGUAGE
OTHER NETWORKS ENGLISH LANGUAGE
LOCAL FAN INSIGHTS

Unlike fans of other major professional team sports, U.S. soccer fans have an abundance of TV content, from leagues all over the world, to
choose from. Although they all enjoy the sport, soccer fans often have a strong affinity to follow a distinct league. The differences amongst
league fans are clearly illustrated through their brand preferences, ranging from what type of beer they drink to where they shop.
MEXICAN EUROPEAN TOP NATIONAL MLS ADVERTISERS

LEAGUE FANS MLS FANS SOCCER FANS
1
Mexican league fans MLS fans favorite European league fans
favorite beer is Modelo beer is Sam Adams favorite beer is WELLS FARGO
and they are 5 times and they are 2.5 times Guinness and they are
2 AUDI
more likely to drink more likely to drink 3 times more likely to
it than the U.S. it than the U.S. adult drink it than the U.S.
adult population population adult population
ADIDAS PREDATOR INSTINCT
3
*P21+ *P21+ *P21+
Mexican league fans
are 71% more likely to
MLS fans are 42%
more likely to shop
European fans are 93%
more likely to shop at SPORTING FOOTWEAR
shop at Walmart
Neighborhood Markets
than the U.S. adult
at Costco than the
U.S. adult population
Whole Foods than the
U.S. adult population 4 CONTINENTAL TIRES
population
5 AT&T

NASCAR
ALTHOUGH 2015 MARKED THE SECOND YEAR OF THE CHASE
FOR THE NASCAR SPRINT CUP ELIMINATION FORMAT,
which places more importance on winning throughout the season, it was a year
of firsts. NASCAR shifted to new broadcast partner, NBC, to televise the Chase
for the NASCAR Sprint Cup races. This proved beneficial, as the broadcast of the
NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship race was the most-watched finale in a decade.
The November 22nd NBC broadcast from Homestead-Miami Speedway averaged
7.6 million viewers up 46% over 2014 (5.2 million).
The championship race was monumental both because NASCAR legend, Jeff Gordon,
was set to retire after the checkered flag, and first-time champion, Kyle Busch, took
home the title.
TIMELINE
2015 OF
TIMELINE
TV VIEWERSHIP
OF HIGHLIGHTS:
HIGHLIGHTS
feb 22 may 03 sep 06 nov 22

Daytona 500 Talladega Darlington Homestead-
FOX
Superspeedway Raceway Miami Speedway
297,000 FOX NBC NBC
112,000 91,000 199,000
13.4 7.0 6.3 6.4 6.0 4.6 7.6
mar 15 may 24 nov 08

Phoenix Charlotte Texas Motor
International Raceway Motor Speedway Speedway
FOX FOX NBC
64,000 89,000 82,000
Total Tweets

PERFORMANCE OF ADS IN TITLE RACES:
Entitlement sponsorships may influence the effectiveness of a NASCAR sponsors ads within the race. Nielsen Brand Effect performed
an analysis to compare the effectiveness of brand ads within a title race, within other NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races and against a
brand norm. Both the May 3rd Talladega race sponsored by Geico and the May 24th Charlotte race sponsored by Coca-Cola saw lift in
effectiveness for brand ads in their respective races. This means that title sponsors of some of the most viewed races drove additional
impact for their brands beyond just added eyeballs.
AD EFFECTIVENESS: GEICO AD EFFECTIVENESS: COCA-COL A
Geico Ads in Geico 500 61% Coca-Cola Ads in 49%

on Fox Coca-Cola 600 on Fox
May 03, 2015 51% May 24, 2015 40%
Geico Norm in NASCAR 59% Coca-Cola Norm in 38%

2015 Season NASCAR 2015 Season
Broadcast/Cable Only 44% Broadcast/Cable Only 30%
53% Coca-Cola 2015 Norm 38%

Geico 2015 Norm
Broadcast/Cable Only
Broadcast/Cable Only 23%
35%
AD MEMORABILITY
AD MEMORABILITY
BRAND MEMORABILITY
BRAND MEMORABILITY
Geico was top of mind for viewers of the Talladega/Geico 500 Coca-Cola also saw lift in ad effectiveness during their May 24th title
race, as their ads during this race performed significantly better race in Charlotte. Their ads during the Coca-Cola 600 performed
on brand memorability than both Geico ads within other 2015 better on Ad and Brand Memorability than those airing during other
NASCAR races and the 2015 Geico brand norm. 2015 NASCAR races as well as the 2015 Coca-Cola brand norm.
RETIREMENT OF A NASCAR LEGEND

2015 marks the retirement year of NASCAR legend, Jeff TOP NATIONAL ADVERTISERS
Gordon. This four-time Sprint Cup Champion has been wowing
fans since the 90s, racking up a total of 93 career wins - the Brands by Total $ Spend
most in NASCARs modern era. It is no wonder that Gordon
earned a Nielsen N-Score of 68 for Awareness, according to 1 NATIONWIDE INSURANCE
Nielsen Talent Analytics. This far eclipses the average scores of
59 and 58 for auto racing and sports personalities respectively.
2 KFC
Of those who are aware of Gordon, 64% find him Successful, 3 FORD F-150 TRUCKS
which is on par with the score of Super Bowl Champion,
Tom Brady.
4 SPRINT
5 CHEVROLET SILVERADO
Gordon won his first championship in 1995, and continued
to dominate the sport since then. As we take a look at Jeff
Gordon fans, it becomes clear that many of them have been
a fan of Gordon since his prime years. According to Nielsen
Talent Analytics, Jeff Gordons fans are 18% more likely
to be 65 or older.

GOLF
THIS YEARS FIRST 3 MAJORS ALL SAW LIFTS IN VIEWERSHIP
COMPARED TO THE YEAR PRIOR , with Jordan Spieths wins at The
Masters and the U.S. Open in 28% and 44% increases respectively. Poor weather
caused the British Open to conclude on a Monday for the first time since 1988, but
winner Zach Johnson didnt seem to be affected and neither did their audience, which
actually increased by 100,000 viewers from last year. Jason Day finally secured his first
major win with the lowest recorded score of -20 at the PGA Championship. However,
viewership fell 19% compared to Rory McIlroys 2014 win.
The LPGA Tour saw impressive runs by two athletes as Lydia Ko and Inbee Park both
won five tournaments in 2015. Parks second consecutive LPGA Championship victory
lifted viewership by 72% from 2014.

apr 12 jun 21 jul 20

The Masters U.S. Open British Open
Winner: Spieth Winner: Spieth Winner: Z. Johnson
CBS FOX ESPN
429,000 370,000 185,000
14.2 0.7 6.7 1.0 3.4 6.7
jun 14 jul 12 aug 16

LPGA Championship U.S. Women's Open PGA Championship
Winner: Inbee Park Winner: In Gee Chun Winner: Day
NBC FOX CBS
2,000 5,000 137,000
Total Tweets
*Average Audience numbers are based on the final round of each tournament.

YOUNG PLAYERS DRAWING YOUNG VIEWERS
Spieth threw his hat into the ring in a big way to start the golf season, winning the first two majors, The Masters and the U.S. Open.
Not only did Spieth win, but his Masters performance befit the tournaments name. His dominance had the whole sports world
buzzing, and the fans followed. Some of the biggest increases came from the younger audiences, in particular young male viewers.
Spieths win at the Masters didnt resonate with male fans alone. Young female viewers especially, took note of Spieths historic play,
which led to U.S. Open audience increases of 75% among F2-17 and 38% among F18-34.
2015 VIEWERSHIP INCREASES COMPARED TO 2014
+75% +75%
+52% +57%
+38% +32% +38%
+30%
+12% +11%
P2-17 M2-17 P18-24 M18-24 F2-17 F18-24

MALE VIEWERS FEMALE VIEWERS THE MASTERS VIEWERS US OPEN VIEWERS
SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT

CHANGE IN AVERAGE DAILY UNDER ARMOUR TWEETS:
TOURNAMENT VS. PRE-TOURNAMENT Naturally, the social media buzz around Spieth saw a
NIELSEN SOCIAL EFFECT similar eruption, with a 544% increase in total tweets
around the U.S. Open from the year prior. In addition,
+885%
M18-24 represented the largest presence on social media,
accounting for 24% and 26% of total Tweets around
+275%
The Masters and the U.S. Open respectively.
THE MASTERS AUTHORS US OPEN AUTHORS
*Pre-tournament period was the 2 weeks prior to each tournament
Spieths sponsor, Under Armour, reaped the benefits of the increased social conversation. During The Masters, fans who Tweeted
about the tournament sent 885% more Tweets per day about Under Armour than they did before tee off. The U.S. Open gave Spieth
and Under Armour yet another opportunity to dominate the social sphere. Fans who Tweeted during the U.S. Open sent 275% more
Tweets about Under Armour than they did before the tournament.
TOP NATIONAL ADVERTISERS

1 MICROSOFT COMPUTER SOFTWARE

2 QUICKEN LOANS MORTGAGE COMPANY
3 TITLEIST PRO V1 GOLF BALLS
4 CIALIS RX
5 CENTURYLINK TELECOMM

UFC
2015 WAS UFCS 22ND YEAR, AND FAN ENGAGEMENT SURGED
on linear TV, digital platforms, and through social media. This year saw 41 events, 473
bouts and four new countries Philippines, Poland, Scotland and South Korea.
The four UFC on FOX events garnered an average audience of over 2.5 million viewers,
the highest of which was the Gustafsson vs. Johnson event on January 24, which brought
in 3 million viewers. Interestingly, the novelty of UFC Pay-Per-View fights translates to
excitement and tune-in for the preceding cable fights. Five PPV Prelim Fights on FS1 also
passed the million average audience mark, three of which preceded Ronda Rousey fights.

jan 18 feb 22 jul 25 dec 12

UFC Fight Night UFC Fight Night UFC Fight Night UFC 194 Prelims
McGregor vs. Siver Bigfoot vs. Mir Dillashaw vs. Barao Aldo vs. McGregor
FS1 FS1 FOX FS1
155,000 35,000 105,000 17,000
2.8 3.0 1.2 2.7 2.8 1.2 1.6 2.5
jan 24 apr 18 nov 14 dec 19
UFC Fight Night UFC Fight Night UFC 193 Prelims UFC Fight Night
Gustafsson vs. Johnson Machida vs. Rockhold Rousey vs. Holm dos Anjos vs. Cowboy
FOX FOX FS1 FOX
76,000 58,000 42,000 52,000
Total Tweets

THE RAPID RISE OF UFC
UFC LIVE EVENT UNIQUE AUDIENCE
P2+ F2+
28M 10M
+7% +11%
29M 11M
2014 2015
UFCs rapid rise in popularity is apparent through its increases in number of unique viewers from 2014 to 2015. The number of hours
dedicated to UFC programming is a contributing factor. In 2015, UFC-related programming accounted for approximately 28% and
27% of all primetime programming on FS1 and FS2 respectively.
Another reason for the surge is the increased engagement among female fans. Ronda Rouseys highly anticipated fights, massive
endorsement deals, and cameo in the Entourage movie, motivated female viewers to tune in to UFC events. Female viewers
accounted for 38% of UFCs unique audience, and saw 11% growth from 2014 to 2015. Additionally, of the 12 main events
on Pay-Per-View, Ronda Rouseys three fights ranked the highest in terms of the number of unique authors who Tweeted about
the events. These fights also had the highest percentage of female Twitter authors.
21% 28% 24%

UFC 184 UFC 190 UFC 193
138,000 Rousey vs. Zingano 385,000 Rousey vs. Correia 398,000 Rousey vs. Holm
unique unique unique
feb 28 aug 1 nov 14
authors authors authors
% female authors
WOMEN RAVE ABOUT ROUSEY

Nielsen Talent Analytics data reveals that among women, Rousey earns N-Score and Awareness Scores of 67 and 44, respectively, scores
that soundly beat out both the average athlete and Holly Holm. Women also think more highly of Rousey; 31% of women aware of Rousey
consider her a role model, compared to just 23% of those aware of Holm.
67 59%
52 57
44 44% 40%
40% 42%
27% 31%
24 23%
18%
9
N-SCORE AWARENESS SCORE INFLUENTIAL ROLE MODEL SUCCESSFUL

How to read: Among women, Ronda Rousey How to read: Among women, 44% of women who are aware of Ronda Rousey find her influential.
has a weighted Awareness score of 44.
AVERAGE RONDA ROUSEY HOLLY HOLM
TOP NATIONAL ADVERTISERS

1 NOS DRINKS
2 BUD LIGHT BEER
3 METRO PCS
4 GEICO
5 APPLEBEES
*Top five markets by percentage fan following in home market (change since 2010)

NCAA BASKETBALL
2015 WAS A HISTORIC SEASON FOR DUKE COACH MIKE
KRZYZEWSKI, who became the first Division I mens coach to win 1,000 career
games. Coach Ks season only improved from there, as strong play through March
Madness helped the freshmen led Blue Devils reach the NCAA Championship Game,
where they were pitted against Wisconsin and Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky. The
exhilarating matchup of tournament #1 seeds had fans flocking to their TVs, with an
average audience of 28.3 million viewers. This was a 33% increase from 2014s final, making
it the most watched non-football sports event in 2015.
On the womens front, 2015 ended with an epic rematch of the previous years final, with
the #1 Connecticut Huskies taking on the #1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. An average of
3.1 million viewers watched as Connecticuts victory gave coach Geno Auriemma his 10th
Division I national championship. Even though the rematch was highly anticipated, the
viewership dipped 28% from 2014.

mar 03-mar 20 mar 26-mar 27 apr 04

Round of 64 Sweet 16 Final 4
(32 games) (8 games) Duke vs. Michigan State
CBS, TNT, TBS, TruTV CBS, TBS Wisconsin vs. Kentucky
(2 games)
TBS
2.2 5.1 6.1 12.1 13.9 28.3
apr 06
mar 21-mar 22 mar 28-mar 29 Championship Game
Round of 32 Elite 8 Duke vs. Wisconsin
(16 games) (4 games) CBS
CBS, TNT, TBS, TruTV TBS, CBS 2,666,000
Total Tweets

STRENGTH OF POWER CONFERENCES
Although just two years ago BIG10 viewership lead Although NCAA Mens Basketball viewers may disagree on who they want cutting
the pack compared to the other power conferences, down the net, most are well-educated, as 68% of these regular season viewers have
its audience figure now lags behind the ACC some college education. This figure grows as the season progresses. While a PhD is
and SEC. The talent of Frank Kaminsky and the not required to fill out a March Madness bracket, Nielsen National TV data shows
Wisconsin team was not enough to make up for the that 70% of people watching March Madness have some college education. When
rest of the BIG10. Powered by Duke and Kentucky, education level of both regular season and March Madness viewers are compared
the ACC and SEC strength in mens basketball to viewers of all 2015 sporting events, they over-index by 18% and 25% respectively
was directly reflected in regular season viewership for college graduates (4+ years of college).
numbers. The ACC had the most viewed college
basketball games of the 2014-15 season with 3 EDUCATION LEVEL OF VIEWERS
million viewers, on average, tuning in for the top 10
nationally televised regular season games. ALL 2015
SPORTS EVENTS
32%
2014-2015 NCAABB
AVERAGE VIEWERSHIP 31%
37% REGULAR SEASON
BY CONFERENCE
32% 2015 NCAABB
CONFERENCE P2+ PROJECTION (000) 31%
29% TOURNAMENT
PAC-12 .8M
BIG 12 1.4M
BIG10 1.6M
39%
SEC 2.3M
37% 1-3 YEARS COLLEGE
ACC 3.0M 4+ YEARS COLLEGE
31%
*Average Audience (P2+ Live+SD US AA Proj) across the Top Ten games NO COLLEGE
involving specified conference/team
LOCAL FAN INSIGHTS

Given Millers long history in Milwaukee, it is not surprising that Badgers fans favorite alcoholic beverage is beer. However, Duke
supporters fancy themselves more as wine connoisseurs, as Blue Devils fans prefer wine as their alcohol of choice. While these two fan
bases may not agree on their drinks, they both really enjoy their local QSRs, with Badgers fans opting for cheeseburgers and milkshakes,
while Blue Devils fans like to pair fried chicken with a good Merlot.
WISCONSIN FANS DUKE FANS TOP NATIONAL ADVERTISERS

42% of Badgers fans have been Bojangles (HQ in Charlotte) is Brands by Total $ Spend
to Culvers (HQ in Prairie du the most popular QSR among
Sac, WI) in the past 30 days
(19% more likely than the typical
Duke basketball fans: 42% have
been there in the past 30 days 1 AT&T
2
Milwaukee adult) (29% more likely than typical
Raleigh Durham adult) CAPITAL ONE
Beer is the most popular alcoholic
beverage among Badgers basketball
Wine is the most popular alcoholic
beverage among Duke fans, with
3 NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL
fans; 70% of Badgers fans drink
beer (24% more likely than the
54% of Blue Devils fans drinking
wine (11% more likely than the 4 BUICK LACROSSE
typical Milwaukee adult)
*P21+
typical Raleigh Durham adult)
*P21+
5 ALLSTATE INSURANCE

NCAA FOOTBALL
THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF COMMITTEES DECISION TO
HAVE THE SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS PLAYED ON NEW YEARS EVE
in lieu of the traditional January 1 slot appears, upon further review, to have been a
scheduling fumble. Tune in for the Clemson - Oklahoma Orange Bowl dropped 45%
compared to last years Rose Bowl, and the Michigan State - Alabama Cotton Bowl had
34% less viewers than last years Sugar Bowl. While the College Football Playoff National
Championship saw a similar dip, averaging only 25.7 million viewers, down 23% from the
inaugural playoff finale, the high-scoring, down to the wire action capped off an excitement
filled season.
The Alabama Crimson Tide, led by Heisman winning running back Derrick Henry, rolled
their way to a victory over the Clemson Tigers, in an SEC-ACC powerhouse showdown.
These two teams captivated college football fans all season long, as they contributed to
six of the top ten most viewed regular season games


STRENGTH OF POWER CONFERENCES
Just two years ago, the SEC was the king of power games were against out of conference opponents.
conferences in terms of average viewership. Strong viewership for these conferences aligns with the percentage of college
However, recent outside conference national football fans in each market. According to Nielsen Scarborough, the highest
victories (Florida State and Ohio State) have percentage of college football fans lie in the Southeast and Midwest (SEC and
toppled its crown. Since Ohio States win in the BIG10), specifically in Alabama, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Georgia, Northern
first ever College Football Playoff, the BIG10 has Florida, Iowa and Louisiana. The Northeast and Southwest have an expectedly
gained the lead in for most viewed college football lower college football fan penetration.
games of the 2014-15 season. On average, 8.5
million viewers tuned in for the BIG10s top ten PERCENTAGE OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL FANS
nationally televised regular season games. The SEC
came in just shy of that with 8.1 million viewers. The WASHINGTON
strength of these conferences seemed to influence WASHINGTON

MONTANA NORTH DAKOTA
MINNESOTA
MAINE
MAINE
viewership of the ACC and Pac-12, as 6 out of the OREGON
MONTANA NORTH DAKOTA
MINNESOTA
VT.
VT.
N.H.
top ten ACC games and 5 out of the top ten Pac-12 OREGON
IDAHO SOUTH DAKOTA
WISCONSIN
WISCONSIN
N.H.
MASS.
NEW YORK MASS.
IDAHO SOUTH DAKOTA
WYOMING MICHIGAN NEW YORK CT R.I.
WYOMING MICHIGAN CT R.I.
IOWA NJ New York
PENNSYLVNIA
AVERAGE VIEWERSHIP
NEBRASKA IOWA NJ New York
Chicago PENNSYLVNIA
NEBRASKA Philadelphia
NEVADA Chicago
INDIANA
OHIO Philadelphia
NEVADA
INDIANA
BY CONFERENCE
ILLINOIS OHIO
UTAH ILLINOIS Washington, D.C.
UTAH COLORADO Washington, D.C.
COLORADO
CALIFORNIA KANSAS VIRGINIA
CALIFORNIA KANSAS MISSOURI VIRGINIA
CONFERENCE P2+ PROJECTION (000) MISSOURI KENTUCKY
KENTUCKY
NORTH
NORTH
CAROLINA
OKLAHOMA TENNESSEE CAROLINA
OKLAHOMA TENNESSEE
PAC-12 4.5M
Los Angeles ARIZONA
Los Angeles ARIZONA ARKANSAS
ARKANSAS SOUTH
SOUTH
Phoenix NEW MEXICO
NEW MEXICO CAROLINA
San Diego Phoenix CAROLINA
MISSISSIPPI
San Diego
MISSISSIPPI
NOTRE DAME 4.8M Dallas
Dallas
GEORGIA
ALABAMA GEORGIA
ALABAMA
BIG 12 5.0M
TEXAS
TEXAS
Houston
Houston
LOUSIANA
LOUSIANA
SanAntonio
San Antonio
ACC 6.1M FLORIDA
FLORIDA
SEC 8.1M
BIG10 8.5M
COLLEGE
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
FOOTBALL FANS
FANS BYBYCOUNTY
COUNTY(%)
(%)
*Average Audience (P2+ Live+SD US AA Proj) across the Top Ten games 46.0 TO 66.5 39.6 TO 45.9 33.6 TO 39.5 28.3 TO 33.5 17.5 TO 28.2
46.0 TO 66.5 39.6 TO 45.9 33.6 TO 39.5 28.3 TO 33.5 17.5 TO 28.2
involving specified conference/team
LOCAL FAN INSIGHTS

Before the final rankings, Coach Dabo Swinney promised a pizza party for all Clemson fans if they made it to the Playoffs. After doing so,
30,000 people received a slice of Papa Johns pizza at the stadium. It is unconfirmed if Coach Swinney used Nielsen data, but he chose the
right cuisine for Tiger fans. If Coach Saban threw a party he might want to serve burritos. Alabama and Clemson fans also have different
vehicles of choice for their tailgates on football Saturdays.
CLEMSON FANS ALABAMA FANS TOP NATIONAL ADVERTISERS

Among types of restaurants visited Mexican is the most popular type Brands by Total $ Spend
in the past 30 days, Pizza was #1 of restaurant among Alabama
1
among Clemson fans with more football fans, with 39% having visited
than 40% having visited a pizza one in the past 30 days (30% more AT&T
spot in the past month (34% more likely than the typical adult in
likely than typical adult in
Greenville, SC)
Birmingham, AL)
2 CHICK-FIL-A
Clemson fans like their Jeeps, as
they are 48% more likely to
Bama fans prefer Buick, as they are
39% more likely to own/lease a
3 TACO BELL
own/lease a Jeep than the typical
Greenville, SC adult
Buick than the typical Birmingham,
AL adult 4 NISSAN ROGUE TRUCKS
5 GEICO

OTHER SPORTS PROGRAMMING
TENNIS: The Serena Slam on the court and on TV
Serena Williams semifinals loss in the U.S. Open caused her to fall short of being the first tennis player since Steffi Graf in 1988
to achieve a Calendar Slam (winning all 4 Grand Slam tournaments in the same year). However, her 2015 Wimbledon victory
completed her second Serena Slam, winning 4 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments dating back to the 2014 U.S. Open.
The Serena effect is real, and Drake isnt the only one to have taken note. Serenas three 2015 tournament victories all saw increased
viewership compared to the year prior, and her U.S. Open Quarterfinals matchup against sister Venus not only trumped last years
U.S. Open victory against Caroline Wozniacki, but it was the most viewed tennis match* of 2015.
THE SERENA SL AM: 2014-2015 TENNIS MA JORS AA P2+ PROJ. (000)

4,823
4,497
1,962
1,677 1,601
1,428
805 704
390
2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2015
Australian Open French Open Wimbledon U.S. Open

*Due to program coding, the time period of this match was analyzed for the duration of the match within the telecast NON-SERENA FINAL SERENA FINAL WILLIAMS SISTER QUARTER FINAL*
BOXING: The revival of content BOXING PROGRAMMING
on network TV MINUTES OF BOXING

30,379
PROGRAMMING
Boxing has seen a revival in the U.S. in terms of its availability 70,470
to fans. Various boxing promotion companies have successfully
brought the sport back into fans homes via network TV
agreements. Although the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, deemed the
fight of the century, may have dominated the headlines, the total NETWORKS CARRYING 9
volume of boxing programming has seen a dramatic increase. BOXING PROGRAMMING
19
With the expansion of networks carrying the sport, boxing
programming minutes (excluding MMA) have increased by 132%
in just 5 years, jumping from 30,379 minutes in 2010 to 70,470 NUMBER OF 673
minutes in 2015. In 2015, one could find boxing on 19 different BOXING TELECASTS
networks, which is more than double the 9 networks carrying 1,057
the sport in 2010. As the pervasiveness of boxing programming
grows it will be interesting to monitor the shifts in viewership 2010 2015
and fan avidity.

HORSE RACING: American Pharoah gallops into the history books
Not only did the American Pharoah become the first horse since 1978
POST-TRIPLE CROWN RACES ON NBC:
to win the Triple Crown, but he became the first horse in history
AA PROJ. (000)
to complete horse racings Grand Slam-winning The Kentucky
Derby, Preakness, Belmont Stakes, and Breeders Cup in the same 48%
year. It seemed that this magic colt with a bitten off tail was just about
3,873
perfect as he danced his way to racing immortality; his lone gaffe being
his now famous name typo.
102% 103% 2,616
Although becoming the first horse to complete the Grand Slam 2,014 1,989
calls for celebration in its own right, American Pharoah was able to 40%
have an even greater impact on the sport than some might realize. By
995 994 981
competing in two of the Win and Youre In Breeders Cup Challenge 708
races, in addition to the Breeders Cup Classic, AP brought increased
viewership to marquee races after his Belmont Stakes victory. Audience Haskell Whitney* Travers Breeders Cup
lift for the Haskell and Travers races were 102% and 103% respectively, 2014 2015
and even the Breeders Cup saw almost a 50% bump in viewership. *American Pharoah did not race
MOTORSPORTS: A Format for Every Fan

The audience across Motorsports can vary drastically. However, each propertys audience is as unique as the format of the race.
FORMULA 1 FORMULA E RACING INDYCAR

The audience for total motorsports events In terms of viewer demographics, Although motorsports overall did not see
is 87% non-Hispanic. In contrast, Formula electric-powered car racing attracts audience growth from 2014 to 2015, IRL
1 proves to be more attractive to Hispanic fans from the Pacific and Southeast saw a 20% lift viewership. This boost came
viewers, as those of Hispanic origin make regions, as the audience in 2015 from both male and female viewers, which
up 23% of the audience. was 17% and 23% more likely to come saw increases of 21% and 18% respectively.
from these areas respectively.
FORMUL A 1 VS. FORMUL A E VS. P2+ AVERAGE AUDIENCE

TOTAL MOTORSPORTS TOTAL MOTORSPORTS (000) GROWTH)
FORMULA 1 FORMULA E TOTAL
INDYCAR
TOTAL MOTORSPORTS TOTAL MOTORSPORTS MOTORSPORTS
571
13%
23% 14%
174
13% 13% 475
16%
8% 147
17%
14% 18% 397
257 252 328
87%
22% 17% 73 69
77% 27%
20% 184 183
TERRITORY=EAST CENTRAL TERRITORY=SOUTHEAST

HOH ORIGIN=HISPANIC
2014 2015 2014 2015
TERRITORY=NORTHEAST TERRITORY=SOUTHWEST
HOH ORIGIN=NON-HISPANIC TERRITORY=PACIFIC TERRITORY=WEST CENTRAL MALE VIEWERS FEMALE VIEWERS

GLOBAL INSIGHTS
While a couple of sports leagues like the NBA and English Premiere league, have a truly
global appeal, sports is still a very local experience for fans to engage with their favorite
local team or league. In the U.S., the NFL and football rule the day in terms of interest
and ratings. However, this is not the case in the rest of the world, where the NFL has a
long road ahead towards building the popularity of American football outside of North
America. Below highlights some of the major sports events that were most popular in their
respective markets. As you can see the list is fairly diverse.
MA JOR TELEVISED SPORTING EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD
Key: COUNTRY
Event
Date
RUSSIA RATING
GERMANY Ice Hockey World SHARE
CANADA UEFA Champions
Super Bowl XLIX U.K. Championship Final
FA Cup Final League Semifinal Canada vs. Russia
New England vs. Seattle Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich
February 1 Arsenal vs. Aston Villa May 17
May 30 May 6 11% (P4+)
23.6% (P2+) 18.6% (P3+)
47.4% 12.9% (P4+) 35.5% JAPAN-KANTO
42.9% 43.2%
91st Tokyo Hakone College
Ekiden Race Day 2
June 14
15.8% (P4+)
55.1%
SOUTH KOREA
SPAIN 2015 AFC Asian Cup Final
UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal South Korea vs. Australia
Atletico Madrid vs. Real Madrid January 31
April 14 9.6% (P4+)
19.5% (P4+) 30.4%
45.4%
FRANCE
2015 World Mens Handball PHILIPPINES
Championship Final Boxing
Qatar vs. France Pacquiao vs. Algieri
January 1 THAILAND November 23, 2014
15.3% (P4+) AFF Suzuki Cup Final 17.1% (P4+)
43.2% Malaysia vs. Thailand 63%
December 20, 2014
22.9% (P4+)
VENEZUELA 69.5%
2015 Copa America
Colombia vs. Venezuela
AUSTRALIA
June 14
NRL Grand Final
4.6% (P4+)
South Sydney vs. Canterbury-Bankstown
24.5%
October 5
19% (P0+)
41.4%
Yassine-Guillaume Berhoun,Sport Manager; MediaMetrie/Eurodata TV Worldwide, Email: ygberhoun@eurodatatv.com

SOURCE PAGE
UPFRONT
Sports Consumption Increases Despite Media Fragmentation: NPOWER, Persons 2+, Live and Live+7, Q4 2015 programming on Broadcast and Cable
(Excludes repeats, sustainers, and programs less than 5 minutes)
Hours of Sports Programming vs. Hours of Viewing: National TV Toolbox, Originator Type: Network and Cable, Summary Type Code: Sports Event,
Sports News, Sports Anthology, Sports Commentary, P2+, Live+SD, 1 min qualiYer. Total Hours was calculated by multiplying Reach Projection (000) by
Average Minutes Viewed for each month throughout the year
Then and Now: Top Programs of 2005 & 2015:: P2+, live telecasts excluding <10minutes, without syndication
The Need for Total Audience Comparison: WSJ 10-26-2015 (for reported streaming audience); Nielsen NNTV, NPOWER 9/10/2015-11/9/2015, excluding
NFLN (P2+)
Engagement on other platforms:
0 Nielsen Social, 2015
0 Digital Smartphone and Daily Fantasy: Nielsen Electronic Mobile Measurement, US, P18+, Sep 2014-2015
Sports Radio Audience: Nielsen Audio Portable People Meter (PPM), All Markets, 2015 Monthly Audience Share, Listeners 6+ /
Mon-Sun 6a-Mid daypart
0 Nielsen 2014-2015 NFL Cumulative Reach Study for Westwood One Radio Network PPM Markets, Unified Sample, Nationally broadcast games
only from primetime (Monday, Sunday, Thursday) and post-season (playoffs, championships, Pro Bowl, Super Bowl). Data is based on top 48 PPM
markets representing 50% of U.S. adult population and represents just the AM/FM broadcast. PPM NFL reach represents 61.8% of total U.S. reach.
A 1.62 reach factor is applied to PPM reach to project to total U.S. reach. Does not include Westwoods simulcast on Sirius/XM and streaming
Capturing Out of Home Viewing: National PPM Measurement, Nielsen Audio, various start and stop times, June 2015 December 2015.
WOMENS WORLD CUP

Timeline:
0 TV Viewers: National TV Toolbox, June 2015 July 2015, P2+ and Live+SD, Game telecasts only
0 Social: Nielsen Social, June 2015 July 2015
Increased Interest from Female Viewers: National TV Toolbox, July 2011 August 2011, June 2015 July 2015, P2+ and Live+SD, 6 min qualiYer
Multicultural Audience:
0 Total Reach by Race: National TV Toolbox, July 2011 August 2011, June 2015 July 2015, P2+ and Live+SD, 6 min qualiSer
0 Female Average Minutes Watched: National TV Toolbox, June 2014 July 2014, June 2015 July 2015, P2+ and Live+SD, 6 min qualiSer
Top Advertisers: Nielsen Monitor Plus, Q4 2014 Q3 2015, National TV
NFL
Tom Brady Insights: Nielsen Talent Analytics
Timeline:
0 TV Viewers: National TV Toolbox, January 2015 December 2015, P2+ and Live+SD
0 Social: Nielsen Social, January 2015 December 2015
Super Bowl: Champions of Advertising
0 Nielsen TV Brand Effect:
- Historical Super Bowl Ad Effectiveness: Based on P13+ survey responses from February 7, 2010 - February 1, 2015. Includes all airings
within Super Bowl coverage.
- Sports Programming/Non-Sports Programming Norms: Based on P13+ survey responses from January 24, 2010 February 15, 2015.
Excludes all ad airings within Super Bowl coverage.
- Budweiser/Budweiser Light Super Bowl XLIX Ad Effectiveness: Based on P21+ survey responses from February 1, 2015.
- Brand/Category Norms: Based on P21+ survey responses from February 16, 2014 February 15, 2015. Inclusive of sports and non-sports
programming within TVBE coverage. Excludes ad airings during Super Bowl XLIX.
Local Fan Insights: Scarborough USA Release 2, 2015
Top Advertisers: Nielsen Monitor Plus Q4 2014 Q3 2015, National TV
NBA
Timeline:
0 TV Viewers: National TV Toolbox, February 2015 December 2015, P2+ and Live+SD
0 Social: Nielsen Social, February 2015 December 2015
King James/Chef Curry Effect on UA/Nike: Nielsen Social Effect Analysis, July 2015 August 2015
0 o Change in Average Daily UnderArmour Tweets Source: Nielsen. Pre-campaign brandactivity from 5/21/15 6/3/15 (daily average in 2 weeks prior
to 2015 NBA Finals) and campaign brand activity from 6/4/15 6/16/15 (daily average during 2015 NBA Finals).Program authors posted at least one
Tweet about a game within the 2015 NBA Finals. Non-program authors did not post Tweets about a game within the 2015 NBA Finals.
0 Change in Average Daily Nike Tweets Source: Nielsen. Pre-campaign brand activity from 5/21/15 6/3/15 (daily average in 2 weeks prior to 2015
NBA Finals) and campaign brand activity from 6/4/15 6/16/15 (daily average during 2015 NBA Finals). Program authors posted at least one Tweet
about a game within the 2015 NBA Finals. Non-program authors did not post Tweets about a game within the 2015 NBA Finals.
MLB
Timeline:
Growth in Hispanic Viewers:
0 Viewership & Hispanic Composition
- TV Viewers: National TV Toolbox, October 27 2015 November 1 2015 P2+, Live+SD
- TV Viewers: National TV Toolbox, October 21 2014 October 29 2014 P2+, Live+SD
0 Average Minutes Viewed
- TV Viewers: National TV Toolbox, October 27 2015 November 1 2015 P2+, Live+SD, 6 min qualifier
- TV Viewers: National TV Toolbox, October 21 2014 October 29 2014 P2+, Live+SD, 6 min qualifier

SOURCE PAGE
NHL
Timeline:
0 TV Viewers: National TV Toolbox, January 2015 June 2015, P2+ and Live+SD
0 Social: Nielsen Social, January 2015 June 2015
Hockey Fans Just Want More Hockey:
0 Progressive Reach: National TV Toolbox, April 2015 June 2015, P2+ and Live+SD, 6 min qualifier
0 Intermission: National TV Toolbox, April 2015, June 2015, P2+ and Live+SD, 6 min qualifier for Game, 1 min qualifier for intermission
Local Market Insights: Scarborough USA Release 2, 2015
SOCCER
Timeline
Mini Story:
0 National TV Toolbox, January 2015 December 2015, P2+ and Live+SD
0 Nielsen Scarborough Multi-Market Release 1, 2015
Fan Insights: Nielsen FanLinks 2015 Survey, 52 Weeks Cume
NASCAR
Timeline
0 TV Viewers: National TV Toolbox, February 2015 November 2015, P2+ and Live+SD
0 Social: Nielsen Social, February 2015 November 2015
The Performance of Ads in Title Races
0 Nielsen TV Brand Effect:
- Geico Ads in Geico 500: Based on P13+ survey responses from May 3, 2015.
- Coca-Cola Ads in Coca-Cola 600: Based on P13+ survey responses from May 24, 2015.
- Geico/Coca-Cola Norms in NASCAR 2015 Season: Based on P13+ survey responses from February 14, 2015 November 22, 2015.
Inclusive of 2015 Sprint Cup Series races only. Excludes ad airings in respective sponsored races (Geico 500, Coca-Cola 600).
- Geico/Coca-Cola 2015 Norms: Based on P13+ survey responses from January 1, 2015 December 31, 2015. Excludes all NASCAR
programming.
Jeff Gordon Insights: Nielsen Talent Analytics
Top Advertisers: Nielsen Monitor Plus Q4 2014 Q3 2015, National TV.
GOLF
Timeline:
Younger Players Drawing Younger Audiences: National TV Toolbox, The Masters: 4/10/14 4/13/14, 4/9/15-4/12/15; The US Open 6/12/14-
6/15/14, 6/18/15-6/21/15; Demos: P2-17, M2-17, P18-24, M18-24
Change in Average Daily Under Armour Tweets - The Masters Source: Nielsen Social. Pre-campaign brand activity from 3/26/15 4/8/15
(daily average in 2 weeks prior to the 2015 Masters on CBS) and campaign brand activity from 4/11/15 4/12/15 (daily average during the final
Saturday and Sunday rounds of the 2015 Masters on CBS). Program authors posted at least one Tweet about the tournament within the final
Saturday and Sunday rounds of the 2015 Masters on CBS. Non-program authors did not post Tweets about the tournament within the Saturday
and Sunday rounds of the 2015 Masters on CBS.
Change in Average Daily Under Armour Tweets The US Open Source: Nielsen Social. Pre-campaign brand activity from 6/4/15 6/17/15
(daily average in 2 weeks prior to 2015 US Open on FOX) and campaign brand activity from 6/18/15 6/21/15 (daily average during the 2015
US Open on FOX). Program authors posted at least one Tweet about the 2015 US Open on FOX. Non-program authors did not post Tweets
about the 2015 US Open on FOX.
UFC
Timeline:
0 TV Viewers: National TV Toolbox, January 2015 September 2015, P2+ and Live+SD, non-Pay-Per-View only
0 Social: Nielsen Social, January 2015 January 2016
The Rapid Rise of UFC:
0 Unique Viewers:
- NPOWER, 6-min reach qualifier; Networks: FS1, FS2, FX, Fox Deportes; Programs: UFC On FOXD Prelim L, UFC Fight Night L, UFC
PPV Prelims L, UFC FS1 Prelims L, Ultimate Fighter Finale L, Ultimate Fighter Prelim L, National Sample, Demos: P2+, F2+
0 Social: Nielsen Social, January 2015 January 2016
Women Rave About Rousey: Nielsen Talent Analytics
NCAA BASKETBALL
Timeline:
0 TV Viewers: National TV Toolbox, January 2015 April 2015, P2+ and Live+SD
0 Social: Nielsen Social, January 2015 April 2015
Strength in Power Conferences:
0 Top 10 Games by Average Viewership: National TV Toolbox, November 2014 March 2015, P2+ US AA Projection, Live+SD across the Top
Ten regular season games involving specified conference/team
0 TV Reach Education Market Breaks: National TV Toolbox
- Total 2015 Sports Events: January 2015 December 2015, P2+ and Live+SD
- NCAA Basketball Regular Season: November 2014 March 2015, P2+ and Live+SD
- NCAA Basketball March Madness: March 2015 April 2015, P2+ and Live+SD
SOURCE PAGE
NCAA FOOTBALL
Timeline:
Strength of Power Conferences:
0 Top 10 Games by Average Viewership: National TV Toolbox, January 2015 December 2015, P2+ US AA Projection, Live+SD across the
Top Ten games involving specified conference/team
0 College Football Fan Penetration: Nielsen Scarborough, Percent of adults (18+) in the market who are College Football Fans. College
Football Fans include those that responded as very or somewhat interested
GLOBAL VIEW:
Source: Yearly Sports Key Facts 2014/2015 Eurodata, TV Worldwide/Relevant Partners, Period: September 2014 - August 2015
0 Regional TAM / Nielsen TV Audience Measurement (Australia), Numris (Canada), Mdiamtrie (France), AGF / GfK Fernsehforschung
(Germany), Video Research Ltd (Japan), Nielsen TV Audience Measurement (Philippines, Thailand, Venezuela, South Korea), TNS Gallup
(Russia), BARB / Kantar Media UK (UK), Kantar Media (Spain)
OTHER SPORTS PROGRAMMING:

Tennis: The Serena Slam on the court and on TV: National TV Toolbox, January 2014 December 2014, January 2015 December 2015, P2+
US AA Projection, Live+SD
Boxing: the revival of content on network TV: National TV Toolbox, National People Meter Sample, January 2015 December 2015. January
2010 December 2010, P2+ US AA Projection, Live+SD, Boxing Program type code, excluding UFC programming Duration, network count,
telecast count
Horse Racing: American Pharaoh gallops into the history books: National TV Toolbox, January 2014 December 2014, January 2015
December 2015, P2+ US AA Projection, Live+SD
Motorsports: How do fans stack up?
0 Total Motorsports: National TV Toolbox, January 2015 December 2015
- P2+ Reach Territory and Origin Marketbreak, Live+SD; Motorsports IRL, Motorsports Formula 1, Motorsports Drag and
Motorsports Cart Program Type Codes used
- P2+ US AA Projection, Live+SD; Motorsports IRL, Motorsports Formula 1, Motorsports Drag and Motorsports Cart Program Type
Codes used
0 Formula 1: National TV Toolbox, January 2015 December 2015, P2+ Reach Origin Marketbreak, Live+SD; Motorsports Formula 1
Program Type Codes used
0 Formula E: National TV Toolbox, January 2015 December 2015, P2+ Reach Territory Marketbreak, Live+SD; Motorsports Drag Program
Type Codes used; Formula E programs selected
0 IndyCar: National TV Toolbox, January 2015 December 2015, P2+ US AA Projection, Live+SD; Motorsports IRL Program Type Codes used
GET CLOSER TO THE FANS:

www.nielsenwire.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Stephen Master
Senior Vice President Sports
Stephen.master@nielsen.com
(646) 654-4577
ABOUT NIELSEN
Nielsen Holdings N.V. (NYSE: NLSN) is a global information and measurement company with leading market positions in
marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement.
Nielsen has a presence in approximately 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA and Diemen, the Netherlands.
For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.

Copyright 2016 The Nielsen Company. All rights reserved. Nielsen and the Nielsen logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of CZT/ACN Trademarks, L.L.C.
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YEAR IN

Weve made it a priority in 2015 to deliver

2 NIELSEN YEAR IN SPORTS REPORT

Copyright 2016 The Nielsen Company 3

THEN AND NOW: TOP 100 LIVE TV PROGRAMS

Based on P2+ Average Audience Projections

4 NIELSEN YEAR IN SPORTS REPORT

Reach Average Minutes Audience

15.2M NFL STREAMING AUDIENCE 1.6M

44.1M AVERAGE NFL TELECAST 18.2M

25.0M LOWEST-RATED NFL TELECAST 8.4M

ENGAGEMENT ON OTHER PLATFORMS

TV PROGRAMMING VS. SOCIAL TV ACTIVITY TIME SPENT ON SMARTPHONES INCREASES

TOP 5 MOBILE SITES

Copyright 2016 The Nielsen Company 5

+72% 8.8M 2015 7.9M +163%

SPORTS RADIO AUDIENCE

AQH SHARE (P6+) FOR SPORTS RADIO

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

6 NIELSEN YEAR IN SPORTS REPORT

WORLD SERIES ON FOX

26% 26% 32%

TUESDAY WEDNESDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

P6+ P1834 M1834

Average Audience OOH lift by Week

week 1 week 2 week 9 week 10 week 15 week 16

Copyright 2016 The Nielsen Company 7

TIMELINE OF TV VIEWERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS

june 08 june 16 june 26 july 04

3.3M | 0.2M 5.0M | 0.1M 5.7M | 0.1M 2.5M | 0.1M

3.5 4.6 5.2 5.0 5.9 8.6 2.6 23.6

june 12 june 22 june 30 july 05

4.5M | 0.1M 4.7M | 0.3M 8.4M | 0.1M 22.3M | 1.3M

ENGLISH-LANGUAGE AUDIENCE SPANISH LANGUAGE AUDIENCE Total Tweets

8 NIELSEN YEAR IN SPORTS REPORT

REACH OF YOUNG FANS

2011 1442 982 5309 3016

A DEEPER LOOK AT THE FANS

2011 38,525 17,456 4227 2499

FEMALE AVERAGE MINUTES WATCHED

814 146 NATIONWIDE INSURANCE 1 ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV

Copyright 2016 The Nielsen Company 9

TIMELINE OF TV VIEWERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS

42.3 34.0 44.4 42.1 49.8 114.4 27.4 32.5

jan 10, 2015 jan 18, 2015 feb 01, 2015

10 NIELSEN YEAR IN SPORTS REPORT

HISTORICAL SUPER BOWL AD EFFECTIVENESS BUDWEISER/BUD LIGHT AD EFFECTIVENESS

Historical Super Bowl

Non-Sports Programming 46% Brand Norm 41%

Sports Programming Norm 45% Category Norm 39%

LOCAL FAN INSIGHTS

Copyright 2016 The Nielsen Company 11

TIMELINE OF TV VIEWERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS

feb 15 may 20-may 26 jun 25

7.2 7.4 6.8 19.9 3.7 11.2

may 19-may 27 jun 4-jun16

Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors NBA Christmas Day

12 NIELSEN YEAR IN SPORTS REPORT

According to Nielsen Social, which measured the effect NON-PROGRAM

According to Nielsen Social, during the 2015 NBA Finals,

LOCAL FAN INSIGHTS

WARRIORS FANS CAVALIERS FANS TOP NATIONAL ADVERTISERS

Copyright 2016 The Nielsen Company 13

TIMELINE OF TV VIEWERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS