Winter X Games XIII Posts Record Viewership
ADMIN
- February 03 2009
- 295 views
- 8 comments
While many major sponsors are pulling the plug on contests across the globe, it looks like advertisers for this year’s Winter X Games definitely got their money’s worth.
Here are the viewership numbers from TV by the Numbers:
- Television: Winter X Games 13 was ESPN’s highest-rated and most-viewed Winter X Games in history. The eight telecasts averaged 942,000 homes, up nine percent from 2008. Young male and people demos were up double digits from last year. Three of ESPN’s eight Winter X Games telecasts, delivered over a 1.0 rating this year –Friday prime time, Sunday afternoon and Sunday prime time. Sunday night’s 1.3 rating and 1,242,210 homes makes it the highest-rated and most-viewed Winter X Games telecast ever. ABC’s Winter X Games 13 telecast on Saturday averaged a 1.2 household rating and 1,376,481 households.
- Fan Voting: Fans in attendance and viewing Winter X Games 13 in the US registered record voting via text messaging to determine the winners of the Ski Big Air and Snowboard Big Air competitions. Each competition logged more than 100,000 votes via text messaging in less than ten minutes. Fans gave Simon Dumont the gold medal in Ski Big Air (for his double front flip with a Superman extension), and gave the Gold to Travis Rice (for his double back flip 1080).
- Apple iTunes, Microsoft Xbox and ESPN TV VOD: Winter X Games premium video content was available on demand on ESPN TV VOD and available for purchase on Apple’s iTunes Store and Microsoft Xbox Video Marketplace, including complete ESPN event coverage of the four-day event - as well as a Best of Ski, Best of Snowboard and Best of Snocross compilation following the games.
- ESPN Action Sports Video (ESPN.com/action): The new ESPN Action Sports network (espn.com/action ), including XGames.com , delivered more than 680,000 views of video from January 22 - 26, a 60 percent increase over the same period for Winter X Games 12. The new online network of sites offered complete coverage of Winter X Games 13, including news, event info and schedules, athlete bios and much more. For more on ESPN Action Sports, click here.
- Mobile: ESPN Mobile TV offered 12 hours of live Winter X Games 13 coverage. Additionally, ESPN’s industry-leading mobile Web site and award-winning ESPN MVP mobile application delivered complete editorial coverage, including news, features, results, alerts and video highlights.
- ESPN360.com: ESPN360.com offered more than 20 hours of live online coverage of Winter X Games 13, including eight hours of exclusive coverage.
- ESPN International: Winter X Games 13, was televised on ESPN’s international networks in Australia (including HD), New Zealand, Israel, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East. This event was televised on ESPN’s International networks to more than 122 countries and it was syndicated to an additional 20 countries through syndication to Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
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February 3rd, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Goes to show that the economy is a mixed bag for snowboarding. Per AP, the actual attendance at the X-Games was at an 5 year low.
In my opinion, in order to weather the downturn in the economy, the entire snowboard and ski resort industry needs to figure out how to make snowboarding less expensive for the masses. For example dramatically slash season ticket prices or figure out how to cash in on refurbishing gear to keep it on the hill, or reinvent the contest formula and get away from dependence on mega-sponsors (local hill contests with big name riders, etc.)
Here is the AP Article.
Winter X Games attendance hits five-year low
By The Associated Press
POSTED: 01/26/2009 10:05:13 AM MST
UPDATED: 01/26/2009 07:00:17 PM MST
ASPEN ? Attendance at this year’s Winter X Games hit a five-year low as officials say a poor economy and bad weather kept spectators at home.
The four-day contest drew about 68,000 this year to Buttermilk Mountain. That’s down more than 4,000 from last year and down more than 8,000 spectators from the Winter X Games record in 2007.
Officials with the event say they’re pleased with the turnout.
They say a poor economy and snowy, rainy weather depressed attendance.
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:52 pm
maybe the viewership was up becuse the attendance was down einstien , just a wild guess there !
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:54 pm
not that i REALLY care , i am ALL ABOUT SURFING !
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Harv,
Why you got to hate on me? I’ve got some great stocks you can buy. How about some swamp land in Florida. Or how about I just drop in on your butt next time your surfing. You’re the real kook here. Wake-up, look around and start wondering if your favorite surf shop or surfboard manufacturer will be there in the next few months. Same problems are facing the surf industry that is facing snowboarding.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Good points SLC…I actully watched the X games in a bar in SLC and everybody was glued to the screen. But still I don’t Shawn earned the Gold in the Pipe.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Agree with you bhawk. I think they gave it to Shawn White like a champion boxer given a win he really did not deserve. Wish they would do a jam session format like I got to witness in person at a US Open a number of years back. The winner in a true jam format is the guy who was killing it, not the guy who put in the best gymnastic run
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:15 pm
We make the best snow gear in the world where i work , in fact we make the best ASI gear and apparel , not hatin’ , aggitatin’ , but know THIS , i am the great and powerful HARVS ! When i say jump , my snowboarders say ” off what HARVS? ” TO WHICH I ANSWER ; MY BALLS !
February 4th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
so you guys make tight pants, right? Harv you a strange one.