Overnight ratings for sporting events on broadcast.
Olympic trials.
5.3/9: U.S. Olympic trials on NBC, swimming (8 PM Sunday)
4.3/8: U.S. Olympic trials on NBC, track & field (7 PM Sunday)
3.0/6: U.S. Olympic trials on NBC, swimming (8 PM Saturday)
2.6/6: U.S. Olympic trials on NBC, swimming (8 PM Friday)
2.2/5: U.S. Olympic trials on NBC, track & field (5 PM Saturday)
- The Olympic trials put up decent numbers on NBC over the weekend. The 5.3/9 for the swimming trials on Sunday was the biggest overnight rating of the weekend, and is a higher rating than any coverage of the swimming trials drew in 2004.
Tennis.
4.6/14: Wimbledon on NBC, Nadal/Federer (9 AM Sunday)
3.4/10: Wimbledon on NBC, V.Williams/S.Williams (9 AM Sunday)
2.0/5: Wimbledon on NBC, men’s semifinals, (12 PM Friday)
- The classic men’s final at Wimbledon drew the highest rating for the event since Pete Sampras last won. The 4.6/14 for Rafael Nadal‘s five-set win over Roger Federer is up 44% from last year, and the best for a Wimbledon final since 2000. The match peaked with an impressive 6.5 from 4-4:30 PM.
- The 3.4 overnight for NBC’s coverage of the all-Williams women’s final saw a 21% jump from last year, but marks the lowest rating for an all-Williams final at Wimbledon. The 3.4 includes over two hours of coverage after the match concluded; during the match itself (9-11:30 AM), NBC averaged a 4.5 overnight.
- Even coverage of the men’s semifinals on Friday saw a slight increase from last year. The 2.0 for NBC’s afternoon coverage marks a 5% increase from last year’s 1.9.
Golf.
1.5/3: PGA on CBS, AT&T National, Final round (3 PM Sunday)
1.3/3: PGA on CBS, AT&T National, Third round (3 PM Saturday)
0.7/2: LPGA on CBS, P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship, Third Round (1:30 PM Sat.)
0.6/2: LPGA on CBS, P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship, Final Round (1:30 PM Sun.)
- Tiger Woods‘ tournament did not have the benefit of having Woods himself play. The 1.5 overnight for final round coverage at the AT&T National marks a 48% decline from a 2.9 last year, when Woods did participate. Overall, CBS averaged a 1.4 rating for two days of coverage, down 44%.
Volleyball.
1.9/4: AVP Crocs Tour on NBC, Boulder Open, Women’s Final (4:30 PM Sunday)
0.8/2: AVP Crocs Tour on NBC, Boulder Open, Men’s Final (3 PM Saturday)
- Ratings for the women’s final at the Boulder Open were the best for any AVP telecast in almost two years. The 1.9 overnight was no doubt fueled by a hefty lead-in from the Nadal/Federer Wimbledon final, which drew a 6.5 in the half-hour immediately preceding volleyball.
Other.
3.4/9: MLB on FOX, Red Sox/Yankees or Cubs/Cardinals (3:30 PM Saturday)
1.0: IRL on ABC, Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen (3:30 PM Sunday)
0.6: WNBA on ABC, Silver Stars/Mystics (1 PM Sunday)
- Thanks to the Yankees and Red Sox, FOX had a second straight week of strong ratings. The 3.4 overnight is the best of the season for baseball on FOX, and marks a 21% increase from a 2.8 for Angels/Yankees last year.
- Overnight ratings for the IRL on ABC were flat from last year.
