The 2008 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which aired Oct. 24-25 on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, attracted 19.8 million viewers. The horse-racing championship was up 62% in viewers from last year’s 12.2 million viewers. The event also attracted a 0.7 household rating, up 11% from 2007, when it was a one-day event that aired only on ESPN and ESPN2. This year’s ABC-ESPN telecast marks the first time the Championships has been aired on a broadcast network and a cable network. “With the expanded two-day format and the addition of ABC, we achieved one of this year's main objectives—to showcase the World Championships to a significantly larger audience,” Greg Avioli, Breeders' Cup president and CEO, said in a statement. “We thank our partners at ESPN for a tremendous production and outstanding promotion leading up to the event.”

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Posted Fri, Oct 31 2008 3:20 PM by News