The N-Score measures name and image awareness, appeal and personality attributes such as sincerity, approachability, experience and influence, both at the U.S. national and local levels. “The extreme N-Score declines of LeBron and Dwyane Wade demonstrate that endorsement potential is about much more than consumer awareness,” said Stephen Master, VP, Nielsen Sports. “From endorsement superstars to being knocked off the top 10 list, they’ve learned the hard way the importance of public perception and appeal.”

Methodology
Using the combined research expertise of Nielsen and E-Poll Market Research, N-Score is an in-depth look at a sports figure’s overall endorsement potential, factoring in the attributes and demographic measures that align brands with endorsers.  Each individual N-Score National survey is administered to 1,100 people within that panel via the Internet. The sample is representative of the general population based on gender, income, age, and education.

But ratings tell only part of the story about the appeal of sports to advertisers. Nielsen’s Year in Sports 2010 reveals that households earning more than $100,000 are more likely to watch major sporting events like the Super Bowl, World Series or World Cup.

The report also provides detail and insight on online buzz, advertising effectiveness, and the power of sports figures to endorse brands.
Download Nielsen’s State of the Media: Year in Sports 2010.

It’s been the question on the sports world’s mind for months, and for some insiders, even years. But since LeBron officially became a free agent on July 1st, the frontrunners for LeBron’s services have changed virtually every day.

According to a week-long buzz study conducted by NM Incite, a Nielsen McKinsey Company, the New York Knicks, the Chicago Bulls, and the Cleveland Cavaliers have all been the most closely linked teams to King James for at least one day.

Here’s a day-by-day summary of online buzz in the U.S. surrounding his wild free agency journey:

July 1: LeBron officially becomes a free agent, and New York takes the early lead with more online LeBron references (24% share) to the Knicks than any of the five other NBA suitors. Buzz volume surrounding LeBron overtakes the buzz levels of another huge sports story – the World Cup – for the first time since the tournament began.

July 2-3: Coming out of LeBron’s individual meetings, the buzz momentum is clearly dominated by the Chicago Bulls, peaking with 36% of the total share on July 3rd. The World Cup passes LeBron with higher buzz volume.

July 4: As LeBron celebrates the 4th of July with friends and family in Akron, OH, the online community is reminded that Cleveland still has a hometown appeal. The Cavaliers pull into a dead heat in the buzz race with the Knicks and Bulls. Each of the three teams hold about a one quarter share of all LeBron free agent buzz

July 5: The Knicks are back to the front of the LeBron conversation, as more mainstream news reports trickle in naming New York as King James’ most likely destination.

July 6: As LeBron participates in a local basketball camp with pros and high school players, the Cavs surge back to the top of online free agency speculation with 36% of the total buzz share.

July 7: LeBron announces that he will make his decision during a one-hour primetime broadcast on July 8. When word spreads that LeBron will make the announcement from Greenwich, CT, the Knicks re-claim the top spot for buzz share. But as late reports surface that LeBron is leaning toward joining fellow free agent superstars in Miami, the online buzz share tying him to the Heat surges past buzz for both Cleveland and Chicago. And even as Spain defeats Germany to set the final matchup in the World Cup, LeBron’s buzz volume surpasses the tournament’s.

Stephen Master, Vice President, Nielsen Sports

SUMMARY: 2009 was a record-breaking year for U.S. sports television, featuring the most-viewed Super Bowl ever, the most-viewed Stanley Cup in seven years, and the most-viewed World Series in five years. What trends ignited this growth and what’s in store for 2010?

Unlike many sectors, U.S. sports television had a banner year in 2009. Viewership of major events hit record levels: Super Bowl XLIII was the most-viewed in history; the Stanley Cup was the most-viewed in seven years, followed by the World Series (most in five years).

Driving this growth were technology advances such as satellite television—now in 28.9% of U.S. homes—which spurred an 8% higher rating for network sporting events in satellite TV homes in 2009 and High Definition TV—in 33% of U.S. homes—which prompted network sporting events to receive 21% higher ratings in HD. And, of course, the Internet and sports web sites, which increased 19% from October 2008, provide fans with a virtual sports bar for online conversation. So what are the trends driving the data?

1. The Internet: Sports sites and streaming events tend to complement sports viewing rather than cannibalize it. Blogs and social networks provide fans a virtual “sports bar” for online conversation. The Nielsen TV-Internet convergence panel found that viewers visit social networks more than sports websites while watching games. But thanks in part to fantasy leagues, sports websites are still drawing big numbers: more than 88 million Americans checked out a sports site in October of 2009—that’s up 19% from October 2008.
2. Satellite TV: Satellite television providers are now in 28.9% of U.S. TV homes, and offer robust sports tiers, including league-run networks which keep fans engaged during the off-season. Take note: Homes with satellite TV score higher network ratings (8% more) for sports programming than those without satellite.
3. HDTV: It’s no secret that sports look great in High Definition, and as HD penetration continues to grow (in May 2009 HD sets were in 33% of U.S. homes), sports viewing is poised to grow in tandem. This year network sporting events received 21% higher ratings in HD.

Picking Winners for 2010? Bet on Globalization
2010 will feature two major international sporting events: the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC, and the World Cup in South Africa. More than a year after the Beijing Olympics attracted 4.7 billion global viewers (211 million in the U.S.), it will be interesting to see the expanded role social media outlets will play in international media coverage and fan engagement.

Goal-den Opportunities
Globalization also presents sports properties with opportunities to grow their fan base: In 2009, the NFL televised a regular season game in London; the NHL dropped the puck in Scandinavia; and the NBA played preseason games in Europe, Asia, and Mexico. The more these leagues extend into new markets, the greater the global reach for their sponsors and advertising partners.

Meanwhile, the already global game of soccer, er, football, for most of the world, is poised again to drive towards its final frontier: the United States. On top of the stateside MLS, the British Premier League and the Champions League are now available to watch in the U.S. With the American team qualifying for the World Cup, soccer seems poised once again to make a run at mainstream American popularity. Lower ticket prices, a futbol-loving Hispanic population that’s growing in the U.S., and a young generation raised on soccer, are other trends that bode well for the sport.

On Defense: Long-Term Threats
More than half of sports fans who identify themselves as “avid fans” reported cutting back on attending sporting events due to the economy. As consumers scrutinize their discretionary income, it remains to be seen if consumer and fan confidence will come back to the stadiums once economic fears have subsided. Nielsen studies have shown that consumers are staying home more, not surprising considering the investment many sports fans are making in their HDTVs and satellite packages.

In the near future, the major sports leagues are also looking with some concern at the next generation of fans. Will they be filling those seats of all these shiny new arenas? According to Nielsen’s How Teens Use Media, teenagers actually under-index when it comes to visiting sports sites on their mobile phones compared to the rest of the population. Will that translate into a more muted engagement going forward with TV viewing, online participation, and live game attendance? Sports franchises are on the edge of their seats, wondering how the first generation born in the digital age will impact the sports world in the next inning of the digital revolution.

2010 U.S. Outlook

Part 1: Cross Media

• Big Screen, Smart Screen, Small Screen: Top 5 Cross-Media Trends
• You Can Take It With You: Future Trends In Media

---

Part 2: Consumer

• Winner Winner Chicken Dinner – Top 5 Consumer Goods Spending Trends
• Innovation Creates Opportunities for CPG Growth
• Aging Puts a Wrinkle in U.S. Marketplace

---

Part 3: Advertising

• Talking Back – Top Five Advertising Trends
• Get Ready for the Audience-Centric Web
• What Would John Wanamaker Say Today?

---

Part 4: Entertainment

• There’s No Business Like Show Business – Top Five Entertainment Trends
• Game On – The World is Watching More Than Ever
• Video Games in Play

“Our work with IMMI shows that TV usage out of the home is a big component of video consumption, which Nielsen clients want to incorporate into their advertising negotiations. Nielsen is continuing to explore ways to accurately measure out of home video consumption, to provide a more complete picture of how people are watching TV. And because of the current economic conditions we are focusing our efforts on a service that will be valuable and economical to the industry,” says Marie Philippe, program manager of Out of Home measurement for The Nielsen Company.

More at MediaWeek.

Read Nielsen’s Out Of Home Viewing report.

The Nielsen Company looked back at the four Stanley Cup Finals match-ups that have gone the full seven games since 2000 and in each case, Game 7 was a ratings windfall. For example, games one through six of the 2006 finals between Edmonton and Carolina averaged 2.4 million viewers. Game 7, however, more than doubled that figure with 5.3 million viewers.

In 2003, when the New Jersey Devils finished off the Anaheim Ducks, Game 7 was watched by 7.2 million U.S. viewers on ABC. Not only did the game attract 140% more viewers than the average of the previous six games, but it was also (and still is) the most-watched Stanley Cup Finals game since at least 1992.

The “Game 7″ effect isn’t just limited to the NHL. When Detroit and San Antonio took the NBA Finals to the limit in 2005, Game 7 was watched by 65% more viewers than the series average to date. And in the eight MLB World Series or LCS matchups to go the full seven games, since 2000, Game 7 viewership overshadowed the rest of the series’ averages each time by anywhere from 74% to 94%.

So what’s driving the data? There are no doubt a multitude of factors: exciting games, compelling storylines, and perhaps even the economy. But one that may go unnoticed is the NBA’s two year old advertising campaign: “Where Amazing Happens.”

Debuting in 2007, the “Where Amazing Happens” commercial spots featured still photos of NBA action accompanied by a signature piano riff. The ads were also supplemented with internet banner ads, print and outdoor extensions and are streaming on Youtube, NBA.com and other online video sites.

This season, “Where Amazing Happens” commercials evolved into CGI replays of some of the most memorable moments in NBA history. By slowing down the action, the commercials highlight the drama embedded in professional basketball that may occasionally go unnoticed with the game moving at such high speeds.

According to Monitor-Plus, Nielsen’s advertising tracking service, the NBA ran more 30-second spots within nationally broadcast games than any other advertiser. The league used this inventory, which is negotiated into the network contracts, to promote “Where Amazing Happens” and is expecting the promotion to help increase viewership and deliver more eyeballs to its official sponsors and network advertisers.

Whatever the reason for the ratings renaissance, a Nielsen Sportsquest survey finds that buzz in the NBA is definitely surging. As of April 2009, interest in the NBA was at it’s highest point since July ‘07, with 33% of total persons aged 12+ identifying themselves as avid NBA fans. The data also revealed that NBA fan interest is spilling over to increased awareness for their sponsors: NBA fans are 50% more likely to name official wireless sponsor T-Mobile as a cell phone provider and 37% more likely to have a favorable opinion of Nike.

Viewership is also higher among patrons of Nike and T-Mobile. Nielsen’s MRI fusion data shows that in Q4 2008, NBA viewership on TNT, ESPN, and ABC, was 47% higher among Nike Shoe wearers, and 23% higher for T-Mobile subscribers.

In a day and age where advertising campaigns often come and go very quickly, the NBA has stuck with “Where Amazing Happens” and its persistence looks like it’s paying off for the league and its partners.

Cleveland led all NBA markets in the U.S. with an 8.1 local household rating. It’s a significant 119% jump for LeBron James and the Cavs, which ranked 9^th through the first half of last season with a 3.7 rating.

The San Antonio Spurs, who boasted the NBA’s top-rated local market last season through as recently as the first month of this season, still showed an 18% year-to-year increase in its local ratings. On average, 7.9% of TV households in the San Antonio market have tuned in to see Tim Duncan & Co. each game, compared to 6.7% over the same time period last year.

The Portland Trailblazers’ first full season with Greg Oden is generating plenty of renewed interest among its fans. The Portland market ranked third through the All-Star break with a 5.6 household rating, 27% higher than the first half of last year. 

TOP-10 LOCAL NBA MARKETS, BY HOUSEHOLD RATINGS

            Other local market highlights in the NBA this year:

• The Indiana Pacers showed the most year-to-year ratings increase through the All-Star break. The Pacers have tripled their ratings from 0.6 last year to 1.8 this year. New Orleans – led by superstar Chris Paul – saw its ratings climb 160%.
• The NBA’s two largest markets – New York and Los Angeles – have maintained the growth trend that was started earlier this year. The Knicks are up 18%, while the Lakers are up 12% and the Clippers are up 43%.

The study, which analyzed viewership data for some of America’s favorite sports, uncovered that while Major League Baseball and NBA pull in comparable audiences for nationally televised broadcast, when compared to the actual fan base in the United States, the NBA significantly outperformed most of its peers; NBA games were able to get 7.8% of its fans, on average, to sit down and view the broadcast.

The study also highlighted the strength of engagement for the sports. NFL fans, on average, watch over an hour of each televised football event; this was the only sport of the four to have over an hour of engagement per televised event.

Read the full study.

NBA Local Ratings Box Score

• The New Orleans Hornets ratings are up 163% compared to a year ago, thanks in large part to last year’s come-from-nowhere victory of their division.
• In Cleveland, fans witnessed the high flying Lebron James lead the Cavs to an eight-game winning streak, which fueled a109% lift in ratings from last season.
• Atlanta and Portland, two teams loaded with young talent, have captured the attention of their markets, with a 97% and 44% increase in their local ratings respectively.
• In Orlando, Dwight Howard and the Magic are atop their division, and are also enjoying a 26% boost in viewership compared to last season.
• The New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers, who benefit from the nation‘s two largest markets, are also outperforming last season, with 17% and 14% increases.

Top 10 Local Ratings 2008-09 Season

2008-09 Season vs. 2007-08 Season Ratings % Change