Thursday, August 18, 2011

Huge Preseason Ratings for Browns Debut on WKYC

Quarterback Colt McCoy wasn’t the only one posting great numbers as the Browns preseason game on WKYC did an impressive 19.1 Household Rating/35 share and a 19.4 rating/53.5 share in Men 25-54.

The game was by far the most watched program of the night, averaging 443,000 viewers. It was the highest rated program on WKYC since the NFL wildcard games in January, and the highest rated program in the market since the NBA Final Game 6 on June 12.*

“We’re happy football is back. And like fans all over Northeast Ohio, we really enjoyed watching the Cleveland Browns beat the Green Bay Packers,” said Brooke Spectorsky, President and General Manager of WKYC. “The preseason games on Channel 3 have always garnered excellent ratings, but this year looks to be pretty exciting for everyone.”

The HD production of Browns preseason includes a crew of over 30 technicians and production personnel, 10 cameras, 8 channels of video replay, live aerial coverage from the Goodyear blimp and unique access to players and coaches. It’s helmed by Emmy award winner and Olympic Games veteran director Al Wohl.

NBC’s Andrew Catalon, filling in for WKYC Sports Anchor Jim Donovan, was impressed with the team’s debut. “What a great way to start a season, especially after only two weeks of training camp,” said Catalon. “Bernie Kosar and I are really looking forward to calling Friday’s game against the Detroit Lions.”

Friday's Pregame Huddle begins our coverage followed by the first kick at Cleveland Browns Stadium at 7:30 p.m.