Soul Generate 5.3 Local Rating for ArenaBowl XXII
July 31, 2008 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Philadelphia Soul News Release
PHILADELPHIA (Wednesday, July 30) - Sunday's Virgin Mobile ArenaBowl XXII win for the Philadelphia Soul was the most watched Arena Football game in the history of the franchise, recording a 5.3 rating and an 11 share within the local market.
On Monday, a 4.8 rating and a 10 share were released to the public, but did not reflect viewership after 6 p.m. (et). The current figures include the entire game, which ended just past 6 p.m. (et).
The 5.3 rating compares favorably with post-season ratings for Flyers-Caps (8.5) and Sixers-Pistons (3.0), both played in April.
Philadelphia did a 1.0 in 2007 when the Soul were not in the ArenaBowl.
The national rating for Virgin Mobile ArenaBowl XXII, which the Soul won 59-56 against the San Jose SaberCats, was a 0.9, up 27 percent from a 0.7 from last year. Total viewers were up 37 percent to 1,288,000.
It was the most-watched ArenaBowl since 2005 when Colorado defeated Georgia in ArenaBowl XIX in Las Vegas on NBC.
Ratings in key demos were also up compared to 2007:
Up 27% in M18-34
Up 28% in M18-49
Up 50% in M25-53
The SaberCats were in the game both years, winning in 2007. SJ-SF-Oak did a 1.3 rating, up eight percent from a 1.2 last year.
The Soul celebrated their fifth anniversary this season with a 59-56 win over the San Jose SaberCats in Virgin Mobile ArenaBowl XXII. The Soul drew a total of 131,817 fans this season, their largest number since their inaugural season of 2004. The Soul sold out four games in the 2008 season and averaged a crowd of 16,477 fans per game. Since their inception, the Soul have drawn a total of 646,043 fans, the most in the AFL over that time frame. Following last season, the Soul were recognized with the Commissioner's Award as the Organization of the Year and were an honorable mention for the PRISM Award in the category of fan appreciation.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from July 31, 2008
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- Soul Generate 5.3 Local Rating for ArenaBowl XXII - Philadelphia Soul
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