DirecTV, Dish Best Way To Reach Sports Fans

Marketers looking to reach sports fans could boost ROI by running campaigns on just DirecTV and Dish Network in lieu of national buys. Nielsen data shows that ratings for sports programming are notably higher in satellite homes than the rest of the country.

On average, DBS homes scored 8% greater ratings for network sports events in 2009 than the 70% of homes without a satellite feed.

The results are not a complete surprise, given that much of DirecTV's brand equity is tied up in being a sports bar on-screen. It continues to spend handsomely to maintain exclusivity for the "NFL Sunday Ticket" package.

DirecTV and Dish each have about two minutes an hour to run ads on channels such as ESPN, so ad buys in those slots could bring attractive targeting.

Separately, Nielsen said homes with high-def TVs tend to have more rabid sports consumption than homes without them. That's good news for networks counting on HD to bolster traditional sports viewing for years to come.

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Unlike other programming that does well on the Internet, sports with HD may be an experience that far exceeds what the Web offers.

Nielsen said homes with HDTVs posted 21% higher ratings for sports in 2009 than households with the standard-definition sets. As of May, about 33% of homes had HDTV sets.

Another figure shows that sports consumption is solid: Even as TV ratings rose, 88 million-plus Americans visited a sports Web site in October, up 19% compared to the year before.

1 comment about "DirecTV, Dish Best Way To Reach Sports Fans".
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  1. Nancy Medinakochis from Dish Network, January 16, 2011 at 2:55 p.m.

    I work at DISH Network and absolutely believe in our product and pricing strategy, it is the best in the industry. We offer free HD for Life to new and EXISTING customers.  We offer free HD equipment upgrades for new customers and EXISTING customers with good credit history for DISH. We have live customer service agents 24 hours a day who can provide you with pricing, package information, and technology advice. Did you know DIRECTTV is tied up in court litigation to face charges of “unfair sales practices”, including “hiding fees, planned rate changes, and terms that call for automatic renewal”? For more information visit DISH’s website at http://www.dish.com and then call DISH’s excellent customer service staff at 1.800.333.3474. You can file a complaint with the BBB or the Attorney General’s office. If you are DISH network subscriber contact me directly and I would be glad to look into your concern personally!

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