April cable coverage estimates show further sports drops, especially at NFL Network and MLB Network
NFL Network has lost an estimated 4.4 million subscribers since August 2018, and an estimated 7.9 million since February 2017.
NFL Network has lost an estimated 4.4 million subscribers since August 2018, and an estimated 7.9 million since February 2017.
The latest Nielsen coverage estimates show ESPN's networks gaining a bit, but some losses for MLB Network and NFL Network.
ESPN (-290,000), NBCSN (-224,000) and FS1 (-147,000) all lost subscribers from July to August. BTN saw a big drop (-350,000). ESPNU (-632,000) saw the biggest month-to-month loss, but received a non-linear boost.
Every sports network lost subscribers from April to May as per Nielsen's estimates, and many were hit quite hard.
The Big Ten Network came in with the largest month-to-month rise, adding 1.7 million households.
Recent changes see ESPN actually gaining subscribers and FS1 losing them. Both channels are well down from last year and from five years ago, though.
ESPN dropped an estimated 100,000 subscribers from November to December, 274,000 from August to December, and 916,000 since February. FS1 has lost an estimated 775,000 since February.
ESPN is down from March, and FS1 is up, but ESPN still has an estimated 87,217,000 subscribers to FS1's 84,421,000.
By contrast, there are an estimated 118 million TV homes and 97 million cable/satellite homes.