October 15, 2013 – NESN, New England’s most watched sports network, has again been named to the prestigious Forbes list of most Valuable Sports Business Brands in the World, moving up one spot to 8th place.
“It’s an honor to be recognized alongside such iconic sports brands,” said NESN President & CEO Sean McGrail. Forbes’ Top 10 list includes Nike, ESPN, Adidas, Under Armour, and Reebok. “We’re proud to be stewards of such extraordinary franchises as the Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins, and we constantly strive to increase value for our shareholders, advertisers, and distributors,” McGrail added.
In the past year alone, McGrail said the network further invested in the NESN brand in several different areas, including:
- A new studio, built during the NHL lockout, to broadcast its Red Sox and Bruins pre and post-game shows
- The launch of a new nightly sports news show, NESN Sports Today at 10 p.m., that is fast-paced, interactive, and relevant to fans of New England sports
- A new state-of-the-art remote production truck, introduced on the Bruins season opener last week, to further enhance game telecasts
- Expanded hiring of new executive level positions in programming
- A plethora of new in-game telecast enhancements including real-time fan voting and further social media integration
Red Sox and Bruins broadcasts continue to set record ratings. The Bruins achieved a network all-time high 6.3 average HH rating, up 35% over the previous season, while making the Stanley Cup Final. NESN’s 147 telecasts of the Red Sox last-to-first place finish this season recaptured Red Sox fans’ interest and improved ratings 18% to a 7.3 average HH rating. NESN is producing special one-hour pre and post-game shows for every Red Sox playoff game, including the ALDS, and for the ALCS now underway. The Boston Red Sox ranked 6th on a separate Forbes list, also released last week, ranking the Most Valuable Sports Team Brands.
NESN’s progress this past year adds to its state-of-the-art facility, milestone as the first regional sports network (RSN) to be all High Definition, and its online position as the leader in RSN web traffic and social media followers. Collectively NESN is well positioned for years to come holding the exclusive rights to carry all regional Red Sox and Bruins games, as well as every major New England collegiate event, and original content through Original NESN Entertainment, or ONE.
Forbes also ranked the Top-10 brands among athletes, teams and events, and they include such brands as the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and the World Cup. The full story and group of lists can be found at http://onforb.es/15tnlxF
About NESN
NESN has consistently been one of the top-rated regional sports networks in the country with award-winning Red Sox and Bruins coverage. The network is delivered to over 4 million homes throughout the six-state New England region and an additional 5 million homes nationally as NESN National. NESN.com, the network’s online sports news service, is one of the most visited regional sports network websites in the country. NESN also produces a number of distinctive programs under its umbrella Original NESN Entertainment (ONE). NESN is owned by Fenway Sports Group (owners of the Boston Red Sox) and Delaware North (owners of the Boston Bruins).
