First, the results of last week’s predictions:
- MLB on FOX, Tigers/Yankees. Prediction: 2.7. Final rating: 3.0. The second highest rated game of the season on FOX is still down 6% from last year. This marks the eighth straight week, dating back to the Saturday before the All Star Game, that FOX has seen declining ratings.
- LLWS on ABC. Prediction: 1.7. Final rating: 1.1. Two Little League games on ABC last weekend averaged a 1.4 rating, with a 0.4 rating among Men 18-49.
- Sunday Night Football on NBC, Giants/Ravens. Prediction: 4.4. Final rating: 4.8. NBC had the highest rated NFL preseason game of the week; no other preseason game on national TV drew a rating higher than 3.0.
NASCAR on ESPN, 3M Performance 400, was rained out.
This week’s predictions:
- MLB on FOX, Red Sox/White Sox or Dodgers/Mets, 3:30 PM Saturday — With games involving four huge markets (Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York) look for FOX to have another strong week. FOX needs only a 2.4 rating to surpass last year’s number and end a two month streak of declining ratings. Prediction: 2.8.
- LLWS on ABC, World Championship, 3:30 PM Sunday — The Little League World Series did not draw huge numbers last weekend for ABC; look for a trio of championship matches (U.S. and International on Saturday, and the World Championship on Sunday) to be a bigger draw. Prediction: 2.7.
- NASCAR on ESPN, Sharpie 500, 8:00 PM Saturday — Coming off of a disappointing week, which saw a race being run on a Tuesday morning, look for NASCAR on ESPN to bounce back with a solid Saturday night rating. Prediction: 3.5.
- Sunday Night Football on NBC, Steelers/Eagles, 8:00 PM Sunday — Expect preseason football to be the highest rated event of the weekend for the second straight week. Prediction: 4.5.
- WNBA Playoffs on ABC, Liberty/Shock Game 2, 1:00 PM Sunday — ABC aired two early round playoff games last year, both of which drew a 0.6 rating, while last Sunday’s Mystics/Sun game on the network also drew a 0.6. Prediction: 0.6.
