The YES Network has done wonders for the Yankees’ bottom line, and it’s showing off the field as well. The Yanks’ TV station, the most watched regional sports network in the country last year, has garnered 46 Emmy nominations for its baseball, basketball and sports media programming. The network, a content partner of ours, has already won 49 Emmy’s in its short existence.
“This record number of nominations for YES is a testament to the hard work, tremendous energy and total team effort exhibited by everyone at YES,” John Filippelli, president of production and programming, said in a statement. “We are especially pleased with the breadth of programming and productions recognized by the Academy, along with the fact that the efforts of so many individuals – both on-camera and behind the scenes – have been validated.”
On the Yanks’ side of things, Paul O’Neill and John Flaherty were both nominated in the sports analyst category for on-air talent, and Bob Lorenz too garnered a nod as an anchor. Off the field, the network’s coverage of George Steinbrenner’s death in July and HOPE Week as well as their Yankeeography episodes earned recognition as well. The YES Network’s new in-game graphics are up for an award, but unfortunately, our commercial is not.
In other YES news, the year-end ratings for 2010 came out, and they show a network still growing. The network is averaging 72,000 viewers per day in the primetime slot — more than MSG and SportsNet NY combined. Their Yankee broadcasts ranked number one in the New York area on 39 of 45 straight nights among the following demos: Men 18+, Men 18-49, Men 25-54, Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54. In lay terms, that’s great for ad rates.
The Yankees have a good thing going on with the YES Network right now, and if — or when — the team is ever put up for sale, YES will be a valuable part of that package.