Redskins: RG3's Preseason Debut Sets Comcast Ratings Record

Ashburn (Aug. 11, 2012) - Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic’s live coverage of the Washington Redskins’ preseason game at Buffalo on Thursday, Aug. 9, was the highest-rated program in network history (since April 2001), earning an average household rating of 9.15 in the Washington, D.C., television market from 7-10:15 p.m. The record household rating equates to an average Washington-area audience of approximately 216,000 households and 297,000 viewers. 

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Comcast SportsNet’s coverage, which featured the debut of Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, posted a peak household rating of 10.75 in the Washington market during the game’s first quarter, which equates to approximately 254,000 households and 402,000 viewers. Combined with the Baltimore television market, approximately 470,000 Washington/Baltimore-area viewers watched Comcast SportsNet during the first quarter. The game also aired locally on NBC Washington Nonstop.

“We appreciate the great fan support as our 2012 preseason kicked off in record fashion on Comcast SportsNet,” said Redskins Chief Marketing Officer Mitch Gershman. 

Comcast SportsNet’s previous all-time record for average household rating in the Washington market was an 8.10, which was earned for the Washington Capitals’ Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Game 7 vs. Montreal on April 28, 2010. The network’s highest average household rating for a Redskins preseason game was a 4.24, set during last preseason’s opening game on August 12, 2011, against the Pittsburgh Steelers. All network ratings information is since April 2001, when the network became Comcast SportsNet. Prior data is unavailable.

The exclusive HD home of the Redskins’ preseason, Comcast SportsNet will continue its live coverage of the team’s exhibition schedule on Aug. 18 when they face the Bears in Chicago at 8 p.m. The network’s Redskins schedule also includes preseason home games against Indianapolis on Aug. 25 (4 p.m.) and Tampa Bay on Aug. 29 (7:30 p.m.) The award-winning Redskins Kickoff and Redskins Postgame Live surround all preseason and regular-season Redskins games.

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic – the official sports network of the Washington Redskins, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, D.C. United, Atlantic Coast Conference and Colonial Athletic Association – delivers more than 500 live sporting events per year, along with Emmy Award-winning news, analysis and entertainment programming, to more than 4.7 million homes throughout the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Comcast SportsNet’s digital portfolio, highlighted by CSNwashington.com and CSNbaltimore.com, is the region’s leading source for online sports news and information.

NBC Sports Regional Networks, part of the NBC Sports Group, consists of 14 local networks that deliver more than 2,400 sporting events annually along with breaking news and comprehensive analysis to more than 50 million cable and satellite homes.

The NBC Sports Regional Networks are: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Comcast SportsNet California, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Comcast SportsNet New England, Comcast SportsNet Northwest, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, SNY, CSS, Comcast Sports Southwest, and Comcast SportsNet Houston (launching October 2012).  NBC Sports Regional Networks also manages NECN (New England Cable News), the nation’s largest regional news network, and The Comcast Network, based in Philadelphia and Washington, which delivers community-oriented programming.  For more information, see ComcastSportsNet.com.