or


[12/15/10 - 09:09 AM]
Critically Acclaimed "30 for 30" Wraps up with "Pony Exce$$" - ESPN's Most-Watched Documentary
ESPN spins the numbers for Saturday, December 11.

[via press release from ESPN]

Critically Acclaimed "30 for 30" Wraps up with "Pony Exce$$" - ESPN's Most-Watched Documentary

ESPN Films wrapped up the critically acclaimed "30 for 30" films with Thaddeus D. Matula's Pony Exce$$, Saturday, Dec. 11, immediately following the Heisman Trophy presentation, earning a 1.8 rating, according to Nielsen. That represents an average of 1,843,000 million homes (2.517,000 viewers, P2+) to become ESPN's most-watched documentary of all time.

Pony Exce$$ edged out Billy Corben's The U, which earned a 1.8 rating (1,801,000 homes, 2.368,000 viewers) in December 2009, and Jon Hock's The Best That Never Was, which earned a 1.8 rating (1,760,000 homes, 2,229,000 viewers) last month. Overall, the "30 for 30" slate of 30 films averaged a 1.0 rating (958,000 homes, 1,193,000 viewers). The series, created in celebration of ESPN's 30th anniversary, not only highlighted some of the most memorable moments in sports history but examined the impact that they had on pop culture and society as a whole.

"Storytelling is at the heart of what ESPN does - whether on TV, online, radio or in print - in our features, game summaries, event productions or, of course, documentaries," says John Skipper, executive vice president, content, ESPN. "The positive feedback from media and fans shows there is an audience for long-form, high-quality storytelling, and it belongs on ESPN."

Connor Schell, executive producer, ESPN Films, adds, "We worked with an extraordinary group of directors for the '30 for 30' series. Due to the enormous creativity of the storytellers, the collection of films was as interesting in style as in subject matter. We intend to continue making quality, point-of-view films going forward."

Highlights for the series include -

· Airing in March 2010 on NCAA men's basketball's "Selection Sunday," Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks, directed by Peabody Award-winning director Dan Klores, posted a 1.5 rating, the fourth highest ever for an ESPN documentary and the highest-rated show ever in the time slot following the Bracketology program.

· The Two Escobars has played at the prestigious 2010 Tribeca, Cannes and Los Angeles Film Festivals, garnering critical acclaim. Its televised premiere June 21 was ESPN Deportes' top-rated documentary ever with a 1.2 Hispanic household rating.

· "30 for 30" won the 2010 International Documentary Association's "Distinguished Continuing Series" award.

Although major markets nationwide played a big role in the success of the series, it was the Southeast that was the biggest supporter, posting the highest average market rating per film. Birmingham, Charlotte and Louisville were the three top markets for the "30 for 30" series, averaging a 2.0, 1.6 and 1.5 respectively. Smaller markets that posted the highest rating for select films include Birmingham (3.6 for Jordan Rides the Bus), Austin (2.2 for Run Ricky Run) and Knoxville (2.0 for Tim Richmond: To the Limit).

On several occasions the city or location being depicted in the film was not the top-rated market for that film. Notably, The U earned a 5.6 rating in Birmingham while Miami came in sixth with a 3.3. Additionally, Straight Outta L.A. rated the highest in Miami with a 2.0 while Los Angeles came in seventh (0.8).





  [december 2010]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· 30 FOR 30 (ESPN)





most recent ratings | view all posts
[11/01/24 - 11:54 AM]
"High Potential" Continues Linear Dominance as ABC Wins Tuesday 10 p.m. Hour in Total Viewers for First Time in 4 Years
Season to date through week five, "High Potential" stands as ABC's most-watched (10.42 million) new series in six years - since the 2018-2019 season with "The Conners."

[10/31/24 - 06:41 PM]
FOX Sports Caps a Postseason for the Ages as World Series Game 5 Delivers 18.6 Million Viewers
Across all networks, the 120th World Series dominated the television landscape with an average of 15,808,000 viewers, the best combined figure for the Fall Classic since 2017.

[10/30/24 - 03:14 PM]
FOX Sports Hits Grand Slam with Most-Watched World Series Game 4 Since 2016, Peaking at 18.2M Viewers
Through Game 4, the 2024 World Series across all networks is averaging 14,984,000 viewers - its best start since 2017.

[10/29/24 - 03:37 PM]
World Series Game 3: Monday's Most-Watched Program
On FOX, the broadcast averaged 13,208,000 viewers, making it the most-watched Game 3 since 2018.

[10/29/24 - 12:03 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of Oct. 21: "The Lincoln Lawyer" Courts the Top Spot; "Don't Move" Debuts at #1
The new docuseries "This Is the Zodiac Speaking" debuted at #2 with 7.5M views and the feature documentary "Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare" stole #3 (7.2M views).

[10/29/24 - 11:30 AM]
CBS Premiere Episodes Soar in Multiplatform Viewership Led by "Matlock" Premiere Amassing 22.8 Million Viewers in One Month
Other highlights include the series premiere of "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage" amassed 10.6 million multiplatform viewers in its first seven days.

[10/28/24 - 03:50 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Is Top Program of the Night in Adults 18-49
Season to date, "Dancing with the Stars" stands as the No. 1 entertainment program on broadcast in Adults 18-49 (0.69 rating).

[10/28/24 - 02:05 PM]
Cowboys-49ers Averages Nearly 24 Million Viewers on NBC & Peacock in Most-Watched Week 8 "Sunday Night Football" Game Ever
NBC Sports' audience peaked at 26.4 million viewers in the second quarter (9:15-9:30 p.m. ET).

[10/27/24 - 02:17 PM]
Viewership Gains: World Series Off to Strongest Start Since 2017
With 13,444,000 viewers, it was the most-watched World Series Game 2 on FOX since 2018 (Dodgers-Red Sox: 13,508,000).

[10/26/24 - 01:12 PM]
Gibby, Meet Freddie: MLB Delivers 15.2M Viewers for World Series Game 1
It was the most-watched World Series Game 1 since 2017 (Astros-Dodgers: 15,328,000).

[10/25/24 - 10:57 AM]
The 2024 WNBA Season Delivers Record Viewership Across ESPN Platforms
The 2024 postseason averaged 1.1 million viewers - up 139 percent over 2023's postseason - making it the most-viewed WNBA postseason in 25 years.

[10/24/24 - 01:42 PM]
"Interview with a Killer" Sets Record with Most-Watched Court TV Original Series Debut
The show's initial telecasts were up +50% with Persons 2+ and +60% in P25-54, to become Court TV's top-performing original since the network began being Nielsen rated.

[10/23/24 - 12:35 PM]
"9-1-1" Concludes Wildly Exciting "Bee-Nado" Story Arc, Rising +89% in Total Viewers and +294% in Adults 18-49 Over Initial Live + Same Day Audience
On linear, "9-1-1" ranked as the top entertainment program of the night in both Total Viewers (7.39 million) and Adults 18-49 (0.75 rating).

[10/23/24 - 11:25 AM]
It's a Hallmark Channel Christmas Across Entertainment Cable
"'Twas the Date Before Christmas," "Holiday Crashers," and "Scouting for Christmas" became the Top 3 entertainment cable programs of the week among Households, Total Viewers, and Women and Persons 18+.

[10/22/24 - 03:00 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Total Viewers vs. CBS' "After Midnight" and NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers" for 6th Consecutive Week
Season to date, "Nightline" is up in Total Viewers (+2% - 989,000 vs. 958,000) versus the comparable weeks last season, posting its largest Total Viewer audience in 5 years - since the 2019-2020 season.