When Charter Communications took on The Walt Disney Co. it was risking a huge backlash from its cable TV customers, according to a new report from Beta Research. That’s because Beta’s survey found that three of the networks blacked out in the three-week dispute — ESPN, ESPN2 and Disney Channel — were the three networks most viewers described as a must-have channel.

Charter said it was prepared to walk away from ESPN and the other Disney cable channels, but subscribers don’t seem to feel the same way.

Beta regularly surveys cable subscribers about what channels they must have. In the latest survey conducted in June, ESPN was mentioned by 74% of viewers, ESPN2 was mentioned by 67% of subscribers and Disney Channel was mentioned by 66% of those responding.

Among the other networks cited by subscribers as “must-have” included Discovery Channel, ID, Nickelodeon, National Geographic, History, Weather Channel and Food Network.

To viewers, ESPN’s value was $2.45 a month, higher than any other channel. Disney gets more than that from cable operators for ESPN. ESPN was followed by Disney Channel at $2.15 a month and ESPN2 at $2.15 a month.

Also Read: Disney and Charter Patch Up ‘Broken’ Pay TV Model, Sign Distribution Agreement

In the survey, 48% of adult respondents said that ESPN was important to their enjoyment of cable, more than any other channel.

ESPN also scored high when people were asked about their five favorite cable networks. ESPN was first among men, named by 37%. It was also mentioned by 15% of women, tying it for sixth on the list.

The other favorite networks named by men were History, Discovery, Comedy Central and ESPN2.

Women’s top favorites were Food Network, ID, HGTV, Lifetime and Disney Channel.

Beta Research spoke to 1,500 cable and satellite subscribers aged 18 and up in June in preparing its report, which covered 42 basic cable networks.

At a time when the Walt Disney Co. is looking for ways to stream ESPN directly to consumers, a new survey reinforces the notion that cable subscribers feel they “must have” the sports network.

Beta Research said that 78% of network viewers called ESPN a “must-have network."

While linear ratings for kids channels have plummeted over the past few years, 73% of viewers called Cartoon Network and Disney Channel “must haves.” 

Also: Streaming's Share of TV Viewing Tops Cable for First Time: Nielsen

INSP was also labeled must have by 73% of network viewers.

Scoring nearly as high as must haves were Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, CNN, ID and ESPN2.

Beta also asked respondents which networks were most important to their enjoyment of cable, and 42% pf the adult cable and satellite subscribers surveyed named ESPN, Food Network and History Channel. 

Discovery Channel, Fox News, Weather Channel, National Geographic, FX, USA Networks, CNN, TNT and Comedy Central also were named by more than a third of respondents as helping them enjoy cable TV.

Among men, the favorite basic cable channels included ESPN, History and ESPN2, Fox News, CNN, Discovery Channel, Fox Sports 1, Comedy Central and National Geographic.

Among women, the top networks were Food Network, HGTV, CNN, Hallmark Channel, ID, TLC, Lifetime and History.

The Beta Research Multichannel Subscriber Study–Evaluation of Basic Cable Networks was conducted in June with a national sample of 1,200 cable and satellite subscribers.  ■

Discovery Channel and Comedy Central were the basic cable networks cord-cutters were most interested in, according to a study by Beta Research.

Also high on the list of cable channels cord-cutters are interested in were Food Network, FX, ID, History, National Geographic and Disney Channel.

Among heavy streaming network viewers, FX was on top, followed by Discovery, Comedy Central, Syfy, Food Network, History and National Geographic.

These days, the content from channels such as Discovery, Food Network, FX and Disney Channel are available via subscription streaming services like Discovery Plus and the Disney streaming bundle. Andrew Klein, president of Beta’s cable TV division, told Broadcasting+Cable that popularity among cord cutters could still benefit cable operators.

“We feel that the networks with the highest interest scores still have potential to re-attract some cord cutters or former cable subscribers in the marketing of the legacy basic cable packages,” Klein said.

Klein said that most cord cutters indicated viewing Netflix, but not other specific streaming networks. For example, about 40% indicated viewing Hulu, less than 20% indicated viewing Paramount Plus, less than 10% indicated viewing Discovery Plus.

In other research studies, many respondents indicated difficulty knowing which programs are on which streaming networks, he added.

At the same time, some consumers are canceling streaming subscription services because the cost of multiple services matches or exceeds the cost of cable.

The survey is part of the Beta Research Cable Network Interest Study. It was conducted in March 2022 with 1,390 multichannel subscribers in the sample and 610 non-subscribers to cable, including cord cutters. ■

Cable operators continue to perceive that ESPN is their most valuable network, according to a survey from Beta Research.

Operators said on average the sports network was worth $1.05 a month to their systems, marking the 22nd consecutive year it was ranked first or statistically tied for the top position, Beta said.

ESPN2 was the third most valuable to operators, who ascribed a $1.03 value on it. 

Operators actually pay about $7 a month to Disney to run the ESPN networks.

Also: ESPN Tops Beta List of 'Must Have' Cable Channels

Also ranking among the top networks in perceived value were Fox News Channel, Disney Channel, HGTV, TNT and Discovery Channel.

Asked which networks are most requested by customers during the pandemic, the operators again put ESPN on top. ESPN was followed in the survey by Fox News Channel, CNN, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, Disney Channel, MSNBC and Food Network.

Beta also asked operators which programmers ranked highest for helping operators deal with the business impact of cord cutting through marketing and promotion. 

Disney and ESPN Media Networks, got the highest scores, getting positive responses from 58% of those surveyed.

Other organizations seen as helpful are the Hallmark Networks, Discovery, NBCUniversal and Fox.

The Beta Research Cable Operator Study was conducted between July and August with a sample of 81 cable operators, 44% of which having 200,000 or more subscribers. ■ 

Advertising executives said they plan to increase spending on ESPN, according to a report by Beta Research.

Beta said that 60% of the executives it surveyed last fall said they plan to increase spending on the Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN, topping No. 2 HGTV, which was named by 52% of the ad execs.

The figures were higher than the survey Beta did in Fall 2020, before the vaccines for COVID-19 were available. 

Also high on the ad executives' list were Food Network, Discovery Channel, CNN and TNT.

HGTV, Food Network, and Discovery Channel are all owned by Discovery, CNN and TNT are owned by WarnerMedia. AT&T is spinning off WarnerMedia and selling it to Discovery. 

The deal is expected to close in the second quarter.

In the survey 42% of ad execs said they planned to spend more on the average broadcast network, slightly more than named CNN and TNT.

Beta also said that when ad executives evaluated network groups on providing flexibility with deals and pricing on streaming and online ad sales, Discovery came out on top, given high grades by 57% of respondents.

Discovery was followed by WarnerMedia, NBCUniversal Advertising Sales, Disney Advertising Sales, ViacomCBS Advertising Sales and A+E Networks in the survey.

When it comes to being able to evaluate the effectiveness of streaming and online ads, NBCU was No. 1 followed closely by Disney. 

Also atop the list were Discovery, WarnerMedia and ViacomCBS.

Beta said it completed 135 interviews with advertising media professionals between July and November of 2021. The study measured 40 basic cable networks and the four major broadcast networks and 12 ad sale organizations. ■ 

The NFL Network is a “must-have” according to 30% of the cable subscribers asked about digital basic cable networks by Beta Research.

Among the other digital basic cable networks most often called a must-have by subscribers were Cooking Channel, FXM, Hallmark Drama, Nat Geo Wild, Discovery Life Channel, BBC America and Disney XD.

At a time when many consumers are cutting the cord, Beta found that subscribers who called themselves “heavy streamers” gave higher “must-have” scores to digital basic cable networks.

Among those heavy streamers, Cooking Channel was cited by 44% and NFL Network by 41%. Also among the networks called “must-have” by heavy streamers were Discovery Life, Discovery Family, Disney HD and Nat Geo Wild.

Beta saw a similar increase in must-have scores among heavy streamers in its survey looking at basic cable networks.

Favorite digital basic cable networks among men 18 years and older were NFL Network, BBC America, FXM, Cooking Channel, Disney XD and Nat Geo Wild.

While basic networks — such as CNN and ESPN — are carried in the most widely available cable package by most cable operators, digital basic networks are carried almost entirely in packages that cost an extra fee above basic or expanded basic but still have at least 30 million subs, Beta said. To be included in the survey, they must be subscribed to by at least 200 respondents. 

Beta Research conducted its survey in June, interviewing a national sample of 1,502 multichannel subscribers.

ESPN was named as a “must-have” cable channel most often in Beta Research’s latest poll of pay TV subscribers. 

ESPN got the highest marks from 40% of Beta’s respondents. It was followed by Discovery Channel, Food Network, History, CNN, National Geographic, The Weather Channel and Fox News Channel.

A year ago, Food Network was the top finisher with 34%, followed by History, ESPN, Discovery, CNN and National Geographic.

In its 2021 survey, for the first time, Beta polled both cable subscribers and satellite subscribers. The higher scores for some cable networks also might be the result of people who placed a lower value on cable networks cutting the cord, said Andrew Klein, president of Beta’s cable TV division. 

Klein added that the “must have” scores were higher among heavy streaming network viewers and among subscribers of at least two streaming services. “These cable subs really like television and value both streaming networks and the basic networks that they watch,” he told B+C.

Among heavy streaming network viewers, the must-have channels were led by ESPN, Food Network and Disney Channel, ranked highest by 48% of those surveyed. 

When subscribers were asked how much individual channels were worth to them, Disney Channel had the most perceived value at $2.08 per month. 

ESPN followed at $2.05, followed by ID and Cartoon Network at $2.04, Nickelodeon at $2.02, ESPN2 at $2.01 INSP at $1.99 and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries at $1.98.

ESPN was the top network a year ago at $1.95, followed by Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, ID and FS1.

Men in the survey, asked for their five favorite basic cable networks, most often named ESPN, followed by CNN, History, Fox News Channel, Discovery, National Geographic and Comedy Central.

Among women the favorites were Food Network, ID, HGTV, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Hallmark Channel, TLC and Fox News Channel.

For its 2021 Multichannel Subscriber Study, Beta Research conducted online surveys with 1,200 cable and satellite subscribers ages 18 and up during June. The study measured 42 basic cable networks.

Discovery Channel was the most in-demand cable network among people who can’t get it because they are either non-cable TV subscribers or cord cutters, according to a new survey by Beta Research.

Discovery was also the top-ranked basic cable network among non-cable TV subscribers who are heavy viewers of streaming networks.

In the Beta study, 37% of non cable TV subscribers and cord cutters said they were interested in Discovery.

Other networks scoring high included History and National Geographic with 34%; HGTV, Animal Planet and FX with 31%; and Food Network, ID and Comedy Central with 29%.

Discovery, HGTV, Animal Planet, Food Network and ID are all part of Discovery, which in January launched Discovery Plus, a streaming service featuring programming from its cable cable networks plus original shows.

Also Read: Discovery’s David Zaslav on Upfront: ‘We Need Pricing’

Beta found that 42% of cable subscribers were extremely or very interested in dropping cable TV and watching only the TV programming available on their tablets or computers.

Among those non-cable subscribers who are heavy viewers of streaming networks, 48% expressed interest in Discovery. 

They also showed interest in Animal Planet (45%), National Geographic (45%), History (44%), FX (43%) and Food Network (41%).

Beta’s Cable Network Interest Study was conducted in March, with a national sample of 1,418 multichannel subscribers and a sub-sample of 582 non-subscribers to cable TV, including cord cutters.

Bravo, Food Network, National Geographic and Travel Channel were among viewers’ favorites during the pandemic, according to a study by Beta Research.

Viewers between the ages of 25 and 56 were asked what network they especially liked to watch during the pandemic, and 57% said NBCUniversal’s Bravo, with 56% naming Food Network, National Geographic and Travel Channel. 

Also named by more than 52% of those asked were Discovery Channel, CNN, Oxygen, Hallmark Channel, CNBC, ESPN, MSNBC and MTV. 

Also Read: Fewer Ad Execs Expect Increased Spending on Cable Networks: Beta

The broadcast networks averaged 44%.

The list was different when Beta asked viewers 18 plus about their favorite channels. 

Investigation Discovery was the network most named, followed by Hallmark Channel, National Geographic, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon. They were all cited by more than 48% of respondents.

The big broadcast networks were named on average by just 37% of cable subscribers.

Asked which network was most valuable, 60% of respondents replied Weather Channel. 

Weather Channel was followed by National Geographic, CNN, Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, ID, CNBC, MSNBC and History.

The average broadcast network was named by 40% of respondents. 

Beta’s 2021 Brand Identity Study was conducted online in January, with a national sample of 3,510 cable subscribers. The study measured 56 basic or digital basic cable networks and the Big 4 broadcasters.

Fewer ad executives said they expect to spend more on the average cable network over the next 12 months compared to a year ago, according to a survey by Beta Research.

Only 15% anticipated spending more, compared to 27% a year ago.

In this year’s survey, 13% of ad executives said their spending would decrease a little and 6% said spending would drop a lot. Another 60% said they expected spending to remain the same.

Also Read: U.S. TV Ad Spending Fell 5% in 4Q, SMI Says

Because of the coronavirus, Beta changed the wording of its study. In previous surveys it asked ad execs if they planned to increase spending only.

Among cable networks, the one the most ad execs said they would spend more on was HGTV, with 36%. Last year, 50% of ad execs said they would be spending more with HGTV and 53% said they would hike spending on ESPN, the highest scoring network.

Among the networks with the highest share of ad execs planning to spend more on them, Discovery had three, with HGTV, Food Network and Discovery Channel, as did AT&T’s WarnerMedia with CNN, TBS and TNT.

Also Read: Advertisers Shifting Ad Dollars to CTV: Trade Desk Study

NBCU had two networks, Bravo and MSNBC. 

The other networks on the list were Disney’s ESPN, ViacomCBS’s BET and Fox’s Fox News.

The broadcast networks averaged 22% of ad execs saying they’d be spending more on them, which would have placed them in the second half of the top 10.

Advertising executives gave Discovery and WarnerMedia the highest marks for being helpful and flexible in dealing with the business impact of the Coronavirus.

NBCU got the highest grade for providing creative and innovative multi-platform opportunities, followed by Disney Ad Sales 

The study was conducted between August and November, with 176 advertising media executives doing telephone interviews with Beta.

In a study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, Food Network and History were the cable channels most often called “must haves" by cable subscribers, according to Beta Research.

ESPN, Discovery, Channel, CNN and National Geographic were also described as networks that must be included in a channel lineup.

ESPN was the favorite network among men by a large margin in the study. Men also said that History, CNN, Food Network, Fox News, National Geographic and AMC were their favorite.

Food Network was the favorite most cited by women. Adult females also favorited Hallmark Channel, HGTV, TLC, Lifetime ID and History.

Despite losing its live sports coverage for months, viewers said ESPN was worth $1.95 a month, most of the networks listed in the survey. Viewers said Disney Channel was worth $1.85, Nickelodeon was worth $1.83, Cartoon Network was worth $1.79, ID was worth $1.78 and Fox Sports 1 was worth $1.68.

The Beta Research Cable Subscriber study was conducted in June with a sample of 1,200 adult cable subscribers. The study measured 42 basic cable networks.

Networks owned by Discovery were among those non-subscribers to cable and cord cutters were most interested in seeing, according to a new survey by Beta Research.

Four Discovery networks — Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Food Network and ID were among the eight highest scoring channels in the survey.

Discovery is in the process of formulating an over-the-top strategy for letting non-cable subscribers consume its programming.

Also among the most-frequently named networks were A+E’s History, Disney’s National Geographic Channel and FX and ViacomCBS’s Comedy Central.

Among non-subscribers to cable who are heavy viewers of Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime, the networks that drew the most interest were Food Network, Comedy Central, FX, ID and Discovery.

Beta Research conducted the survey from May 5 through May 12 and interviewed 1,470 multichannel subscribers and a sub-sample of 529 non-subscribers and cord-cutters.

Networks owned by Discovery were among those non-subscribers to cable and cord cutters were most interested in seeing, according to a new survey by Beta Research.

Four Discovery networks--Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Food Network  and ID were among the eight highest scoring channels in the survey. 

Discovery is in the process of formulating an over-the-top strategy for letting non-cable subscribers consume its programming.

Also among the most-frequently named networks were A+E’s History, Disney’s National Geographic Channel and FX and ViacomCBS’s Comedy Central.

Among non-subscribers to cable who are heavy viewers of Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime, the networks that drew the most interest were Food Network, Comedy Central, FX, ID and Discovery.

Beta Research conducted the survey from May 5 through May 12 and interviewed 1,470 multichannel subscribers and a sub-sample of 529 non-subscribers and cord cutters.

ESPN is the most valuable cable network to cable operators, according to a survey conducted by Beta Research.

The sports network has ranked first in perceived value for 18 years in a row in the Beta study.

The average perceived value of ESPN to the cable operators was 99 cents per month. They pay substantially more for ESPN, the highest-priced national cable network.

Related: ESPN Tops Cable’s Primetime Ratings Chart for January

The No. 2 network in the survey was Fox News Channel. Operators gave it a perceived value of 85 cents, also less than most operators currently pay.

Other top networks in the survey included ESPN2, 78 cents; Disney Channel, 73 cents; NFL Network, 73 cents; Discovery Channel, 69 cents; FS1, 67 cents; Food Network, 67 cents; TNT, 67 cents; CNN, 67 cents; and USA Network, 66 cents.

Related: Disney Sees ‘Modest’ Subscriber Improvement in Fiscal Q1

Beta also asked cable operators about which network organizations were very helpful in selling TV Everywhere, HDTV and/or video on demand.

The top group named by operators with 100,000 or more subscribers was NBCUniversal Cable. Disney and ESPN Media Networks comprised No. 2, followed by Fox Cable Networks, Discovery Networks, Fox News Channel and Scripps Networks Interactive.

The Beta study is based on a national sample of 102 cable operators and was conducted between August and October of 2017.

Cord-cutters and others who don’t subscribe to cable TV say the networks they’re most interested in include Discovery Channel, History, Food Network and National Geographic, according to a new study by Beta Research.

Also high on cord-cutters' lists are Comedy Central, FX and AMC.

A number of virtual MVPDs are offering skinny bundles, but some of those channels, notably those not owned by media companies that also own a broadcast network, are not included in some of them.

RELATED: Analyst: The Cord-Cutting Future Has Arrived

Beta said 34% of cable subscribers were extremely or very interested in dropping cable TV and watching only the TV programming available on their tablet/computer, such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime.

Read more at B&C.

Cable operators value ESPN the most among the networks they carry, according to a Beta Research study.

According to the Beta study, which surveyed 103 cable operators by telephone between August and October, ESPN was ranked at the top of basic networks by average perceived value at $1.14 per subscriber per month. That’s less than one-sixth of the estimated $7 per subscriber per month the network receives on average from pay TV providers, according to SNL Kagan. Sister networks ESPN 2 placed second with an 89-cents per sub perceived value followed by NFL Network (78 cents); Fox News Channel (76 cents); Disney Channel (75 cents); FS1 (70 cents) and TNT (70 cents).

USA Network placed seventh at 67 cents, followed by the Discovery Channel, Food Network and NBC Sports Network at 65 cents each.

ESPN did fare slightly better than last year, when operators participating in the study said it was worth about $1.03 per subscriber per month. All the other networks were also valued at substantial discounts to their average affiliate fees.

Disney and ESPN Media Networks were tied for first place when respondents were asked which channels were “very helpful” in selling TV Everywhere and video on demand services, with 77% of total operators picking the programmers. Discovery was a close second with 63%, followed by Fox Cable Networks with 62%. 

According to Beta, 86% of the operators surveyed had 10,000 or more subscribers; 56% had 100,000 or more subscribers and 50% had 200,000 or more subscribers. For perceived value, operators were asked to estimate the amount per month per subscriber that the network was worth to their system.

ESPN is the most valuable network to cable operators, according to a new survey by Beta Research.

The survey information was also distributed by Walt Disney Co. and ESPN, which have been fighting a perception that ESPN’s distribution would be hurt if cable operators offer subscribers lower-cost skinny bundles of programming. (See: "Iger: Disney Subs Growing.")

Cable operators said ESPN was worth $1.03 and ESPN2 was worth 75 cents, according to the survey. Those networks actually cost operators and subscribers about $7 a month.

Following the ESPN networks, vable operators said the most valuable were NFL Network, Fox News Channel, Disney Channel, TNT, Fox Sports 1, USA Network, Discovery Channel, CNN and TBS.

Read more at broadcastingcable.com.