Ratings dropped for the Pro Bowl on NBC, but the game still drew the highest overnight rating on a jam packed sports weekend.
NBC drew a 5.8/11 overnight for the Pro Bowl on Sunday, down 16% from a 6.9/12 for last year’s game on FOX. Despite the fairly steep decline, the 5.8 overnight is the second-highest for the Pro Bowl since ’03.
The 5.8 overnight was the highest for any sporting event over the weekend, surpassing Lakers/Cavaliers on ABC by 16%, Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout by 41% and the final round of the Buick Invitational by 176%.
While the Pro Bowl drew strong numbers compared to other sports, the game continues to be the only All Star Game that draws ratings below regular season telecasts. If the 5.8 overnight holds up, it would be off 43% from the 10.2 NBC averaged for regular season telecasts during the ’08 season.
By comparison, the first nine innings of last year’s MLB All Star Game drew a 9.3 final rating, 365% higher than the 2.0 average for regular season games on FOX, and the ’08 NBA All Star Game drew a 3.8, up 245% from the 1.1 games averaged on TNT.
