The YES Network has already hit a home run for Disney — even though it won’t close on its deal for Fox’s TV and movie assets, including its regional sports networks, until next year.
YES, the crown jewel of Fox’s 22 RSNs, released data Friday confirming the dominance of Yankees broadcasts in the New York area, which should entice tech buyers. Among the highlights:
- The average TV household rating of 3.6 for games on YES was the highest for the regular season just ended since 2012.
- That rating beat the prime-time average of every other TV network in New York’s designated market area, or DMA.
- Yankees games on YES also generated more viewing in the DMA (6.6 billion minutes) than the top 11 prime-time entertainment shows combined (6.1 billion minutes).
For Disney, YES’ stats could not have been better timed. To secure Justice Department approval, the ESPN parent company agreed to sell the RSNs it obtains from Fox within 90 days of completing its $71 billion acquisition.
Since the deal could close early next year, YES’ performance is a reminder of how vital RSNs continue to be in the face of rapid declines in general viewing. “They’re not just competing with other sports on TV — but with everything on TV,” a broadcasting source said.
This fact is expected to excite buyers — “legacy media companies and even tech titans,” the source added — when Disney brings Fox’s RSNs to auction. BTIG analyst Richard Greenfield went a step further, writing that “sports is tribal, especially on a local team basis” — a trait he called good for Amazon.
“Shifting local content creates far less risk than shifting a national game to a tech platform,” he said. “If you are watching YES nightly to watch the Yankees, you will seek it out on Amazon.”
