Overnight (metered market) ratings by timeslot.
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM.
4.7/10: NASCAR on FOX, Kobalt Tools 500
2.5/5: PGA Tour on NBC, Arnold Palmer Invitational
1.6: NBA on ABC, Mavericks at Pistons
- The NBA on ABC saw a third straight week of year-to-year declines; Mavericks/Pistons lacked the big-name cachet that Lakers/Cavs had last year, and fell from a 1.9 to a 1.6. Obviously, the fact that most basketball fans are watching the NCAA Tournament has a role to play in the ratings. The 1.6 was also down from a 1.7 in 2005 for the comparable Spurs/Pistons game in the same 3:30 PM timeslot, which was also designated an NBA Finals preview.
- The Kobalt Tools 500 drew a 4.7, down from the comparable Golden Corral 500 in 2005, which drew a 4.9 (the 2006 race was rained out). With NASCAR, the metered market ratings are always lower than the final ratings, as the final ratings include the numbers from the small markets that watch the sport the most. The 4.9 overnight for the ’05 race ended up as a 5.5 final rating.
- The Arnold Palmer Invitational on NBC drew a 2.5 rating, down slightly from the 2.6 the comparable Bay Hill Invitational drew on the same network. Golf events continue to draw mediocre ratings; though golf has routinely outdrawn NBA and college basketball regular season games, ratings have still been unspectacular.
*Full ratings, including those for the NCAA Tournament, were not available in today’s edition of the Sports Business Daily.
