(SUNRISE, FL) Fox Sports Net Florida today announced that the average household rating for Florida Panthers game telecasts during the first three months of the 2003-2004 NHL season were up an impressive 54% over the same period last season. While many NHL teams are showing a ratings decline this season, including the defending Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils whose year-to-date ratings are down 44%, the Florida Panthers and the Colorado Avalanche lead the league with year-to-date ratings growth of 54% over the same period in the 2002-2003 season.
Heading into the new year, Fox Sports Net's Panthers telecasts continue to produce strong ratings as the Friday, January 2 Panthers vs. Flyers game produced a 1.1 average Nielsen household rating. This marks the highest rated Panthers telecast on Fox Sports Net dating back to January 4, 2001 when the team took on the Los Angeles Kings and drew a 1.2 rating.
"Fox Sports Net's ratings for Panthers telecasts through the first three months of the 2003-04 season show the highest year-on-year viewership increase of any team in the NHL this season," said Jeff Genthner, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Fox Sports Net Florida. "With ratings up 10% in October, 59% in November and 52% in December, it's clear hockey fans throughout South Florida have embraced the Panthers this season."
One rating point represents approximately 15,500 television households in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale Designated Market Area (DMA), which consists of Dade, Broward and Monroe Counties.
Fox Sports Net Florida reaches more than 4.9 million households in Florida. Fox Sports Net Florida's programming includes Major League Baseball's Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the National Hockey League's Florida Panthers, the University of Miami, and the University of South Florida, The Best Damn Sports Show Period and NASCAR. Fox Sports Net Florida is managed by Rainbow Sports Networks. Fox more information on Fox Sports Net Florida visit www.fsnflorida.com.
Rainbow Sports Networks is a division of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE:CVC). Fox Sports Net reaches more than 79 million households nationwide and is a service of National Sports Partners, equally owned by Rainbow Media Holdings LLC and Fox Entertainment Group. Rainbow Sports Networks incorporates Rainbow's 50% ownership in Fox Sports Net and Fox Sports National Advertising and the ownership and management of Fox Sports Net regional networks in five of the nation's largest markets: Chicago, San Francisco, New England, Ohio and Florida.