A sports-heavy Saturday night finished in a three way tie.
NASCAR on ABC, LSU/Florida on CBS and Red Sox/Rays on TBS each drew a 3.8 national rating Saturday night, with baseball edging NASCAR for the top spot in total viewers.
Game 2 of the Red Sox/Rays American League Championship Series drew a 3.8 with 6.1 million viewers on TBS Saturday night, up 73% from a 2.2 for Game 2 of last year’s NLCS on TBS, which aired at 10 PM on a Friday night. Compared to Game 2 of last year’s ALCS, the 3.8 rating is off 33% from a 5.7 for Red Sox/Indians, which aired on FOX.
Meanwhile, NASCAR’s Bank of America 500 drew a 3.8 with just over 6 million viewers on ABC, down 10% and 9%, respectively, from a 4.2 with 6.6 million for the same race last year. Through five races, ABC is averaging a 3.8 rating for NASCAR coverage, up 3% from a 3.7 in ’07.
On CBS, prime time coverage of the LSU/Florida football game drew a 3.8 with nearly 6 million viewers, down 28% in ratings and viewership from a 5.3 with 8.3 million for the same primetime match-up last year.
Ratings and viewership for sporting events Saturday night.
3.8, 6.09 mil: ALCS on TBS, Red Sox/Rays Game 2 (Sat., 10/11, 8 PM TBS)
3.8, 6.03 mil: NASCAR on ABC, Bank of America 500 (Sat., 10/11, 7 PM ABC)
3.8, 5.96 mil: SEC on CBS, LSU/Florida (Sat., 10/11, 8 PM CBS)
