First, the results of last week’s predictions.
- MLB on FOX, Yankees/Red Sox or Braves/Phillies. Prediction: 3.3. Final rating: 2.8. Yankees/Red Sox put up solid numbers on FOX last Saturday. The 2.8 rating marks a 27% increase from the 2.2 rating for the game on the comparable weekend in ’07. Through 17 weeks, FOX is averaging a 2.2 rating for MLB telecasts, down 12% from a 2.5 last year.
- MLB on ESPN, Yankees/Red Sox. Prediction: 3.0. Final rating: 2.8. The 2.8 for ESPN’s coverage of Yankees/Red Sox on Sunday night marks a season high, surpassing the previous mark of 2.7 for another Yankees/Red Sox game earlier in July.
- NASCAR on ESPN, Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. Prediction: 4.0. Final rating: 4.3. The first of six NASCAR races on ESPN finished as the most watched motorsports event ever on the network, with 6.7 million viewers. The 4.3 rating marks a 2% increase from the same race last year.
- AFL on ABC, Sabercats/Soul. Prediction: 0.8. Final rating: 0.9. Ratings for the Arena Bowl hit their highest point in three years. The 0.9 rating for the Philadelphia Soul’s victory marks a 29% increase from last year, and is the highest rating for the event since 2005.
This week’s predictions:
- Sunday Night Football on NBC, Washington/Colts, 8 PM Sunday — The return of pro football should attract a big audience on Sunday night. Excluding last year, when the event aired on NFL Network and drew a 1.2 rating, the NFL Hall of Fame Game has drawn at least a 6.0 rating each year since 1998. Prediction: 6.3.
- NASCAR on ESPN, Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500, 2 PM Sunday — Look for ESPN to see a small drop in ratings for its second NASCAR race of the season. Last year, the Pennsylvania 500 drew a 3.8 national rating: Prediction: 3.6.
- MLB on FOX, Angels/Yankees or other regional action, 3:30 PM Saturday — With the top two markets in the nation going head-to-head on Saturday, look for a solid rating for baseball on FOX. Prediction: 2.3.
- X Games on ABC, 3 PM Saturday and Sunday — The X Games are far from a ratings magnet; last year, ABC’s two telecasts drew ratings of 0.8 and 1.1. Expect more of the same this year. Prediction: 0.9 and 1.1.
