First, the results of last week’s predictions:
- British Open on ABC. Predictions: 2.9 and 4.0. Final ratings: 2.4 and 3.7. Ratings for the British Open were down 25% and 20% for third round and final round coverage, respectively.
- MLB on FOX, Regional action. Prediction: 2.8. Final rating: 2.2. Despite big markets and Barry Bonds, baseball on FOX draws a disappointing rating. The rating is down 21% from last year.
- IRL on ABC, Honda IndyCar 200. Prediction: 0.9. Final rating: 1.7. Thanks to a British Open lead-in, and coverage that lasted for only one hour, the IRL draws a relatively huge 1.7 final rating. The race was the fourth-highest rated sporting event on broadcast last weekend, behind baseball and the aforementioned British Open.
- ESPY Awards on ESPN (July 15). Prediction: 2.3. Final rating: 1.7. ESPN would have been better served airing a Sunday Night Baseball game.
Final national rating for “MLS on ESPN: Chelsea FC vs. L.A. Galaxy” currently unavailable.
This week’s predictions:
- NASCAR on ESPN, Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, 2:00 PM Sunday — NASCAR drew solid ratings for TNT, and that was without massive amounts of hype. Expect ESPN to draw similar numbers for its six-week run of coverage. Prediction: 4.0.
- MLB on FOX, Regional action, 3:30 PM Saturday — With match-ups such as Braves/Diamondbacks and Padres/Astros, expect yet another year-to-date decline in ratings for baseball on FOX this week. Prediction: 1.8.
- ArenaBowl on ABC, Columbus vs. San Jose, 3:00 PM Sunday — Last year, the Arena Bowl drew a 0.7 rating on NBC — the lowest of the network’s four year run with the AFL. With ABC having televised a grand total of one AFL game this season, do not expect there to be much of an audience for the championship game on Sunday. Prediction: 0.6.
- Tour de France on CBS, Final stage, 1:00 PM Sunday — With the Tour de France mired in controversy and with American interest at extremely low levels, look for CBS to draw a number far below the 1.1 for Floyd Landis‘ win last year. Prediction: 0.5.
