- Ratings for NFL Draft coverage on the NFL Network were up a whopping 42% from last year. NFL Network drew a 0.9 cable rating with 496,000 viewers for Draft coverage on Saturday, approximately 146,000 more viewers than last year. Meanwhile, ESPN averaged a 3.9 cable rating with 5 million viewers, approximately 62,000 fewer than in ’07. Viewership on the NFL Network made up 9% of the total NFL Draft viewership this year, compared to 6% last year.
- Like partners ESPN and TNT, ABC continues to do well with NBA Playoff games this year. Through four games, ABC is averaging a 3.2 rating for NBA Playoff games, up 19% from a 2.7 last year. Last Sunday, Cavaliers/Wizards drew a 2.4 (even with ’07), and Spurs/Suns drew a 3.5 (up 6%).
- Buoyed by strong performances by the Celtics, Flyers, Capitals, and others, Comcast SportsNet has seen big increases for NBA and NHL regional coverage this year. The NBA and NHL have both seen increases of at least 30%, with the former up 46% and the latter up 31%.
Ted Turner, whose cable business transformed TV sports, dies
Ted Turner, the media mogul and team owner whose TBS "SuperStation" helped pave the way the era of cable...
