First, the results of last week’s predictions:
- NBA Playoffs on TNT, Detroit at Cleveland Game 6. Prediction: 3.8. Final rating: 4.9. Possibly the last piece of good news the NBA will have this season. The 4.9 rating made Game 6 the only Conference Final game to see a year-to-date increase.
- Stanley Cup Finals on NBC, Anaheim at Ottawa Game 3. Prediction: 1.5. Final rating: 1.1. The Stanley Cup Finals finished with a 1.6 average rating for NBC.
- MLB on FOX, Yankees at Red Sox. Prediction: 3.3. Final rating: 3.2. While the NBA and NHL are dropping, the Yankees and Red Sox are almost singlehandedly giving Major League Baseball its best ratings in years.
- NASCAR on FOX, Autism Speaks 400. Prediction: 5.0. Final rating: 2.2*. The race was rained out, meaning that the 2.2 final rating for coverage on Sunday essentially does not count.
- French Open on NBC. Prediction: 0.9 and 1.1. Final rating: 0.9 and 1.1. The French Open will never be a huge draw on network television, especially when American players seem to lack the ability to play on clay.
This week’s predictions:
- NBA Finals on ABC, Cleveland at San Antonio Game 2, 8:30 PM Sunday — If the Game 1 rating is any indication, ABC is on a ride straight into ratings hell. With Game 2 airing opposite the series finale of The Sopranos, expect very few to tune into another poorly-played San Antonio win. Prediction: 5.9.
- French Open on NBC, Roger Federer v. Rafael Nadal, 9:00 AM Sunday — This is the best rivalry in the sport, and arguably one of the best rivalries in sports period. That being said, do not expect big numbers for an event airing on a Sunday morning in mid-June. Last year, the battle between Federer and Nadal drew a 1.8/5. Prediction: 1.7.
- The Belmont Stakes on ABC, 5:00 PM Saturday — With no possibility of a Triple Crown winner, no buzz surrounding the event and little promotion by ESPN/ABC, expect bad numbers. Last year’s race, under similar circumstances, drew a 3.3 rating. Prediction: 2.5.
- NASCAR on TNT, Pocono 500, 2:00 PM Sunday — With race coverage moving to TNT for the next six weeks, the question becomes whether or not NASCAR’s ratings slide will continue. Prediction: 3.2.
