Week in review.

A review of the articles on this website from March 2 to March 9.

Monday

ABC has another week of strong ratings for NBA coverage. Pistons/Celtics draws a 2.8 overnight rating, up 22% from ’08, and Lakers/Suns draws a 3.8, up 12%.
Overnight ratings for NASCAR on FOX drop by double-digits yet again. Still, the 5.5 for the Shelby 427 was easily the highest overnight of the weekend for a sporting event on broadcast.

Tuesday

With Tiger Woods on the sidelines, ratings plunged for the Accenture Match Play Championship. Saturday coverage drew a 1.7 overnight, down 47% from a 3.2 in ’08, and coverage of the finals on Sunday drew a 2.0, down 43% from last year’s 3.5.
CBS has sold out 90% of its ad inventory for this month’s NCAA Tournament.

Wednesday

The New York Yankees have been drawing record Spring Training ratings.
The start time for this year’s NFL Draft has been pushed from 3 PM to 4 PM.
The tentative schedule for the 2009 NBA Playoffs on ESPN and ABC.
FOX releases its 2009 MLB schedule; the Angels, White Sox, Cardinals, Twins and Dodgers are each scheduled for more appearances on FOX than the Yankees and Red Sox.

Thursday

NBC announces that Al Michaels will host the network’s weekend and weekday coverage of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Friday

NBC will air Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, marking the first time in a decade that the first two games of the event air on broadcast. NBC will also air Games 5, 6 and 7 of the series, with Versus airing Games 3 and 4.
The Miami Heat attract big audiences for two big games. A Cavaliers/Heat tilt on Monday draws the best Heat rating on Sun Sports in two years; Suns/Heat two nights later, featuring Shaquille O’Neal’s return to Miami, draws the highest rating in eleven years.
ABC NBA ratings: Pistons/Celtics draws a 2.2, up 5% from ’08, and Suns/Lakers draws a 3.1, up 3%. Overall, ABC is averaging a 2.8 rating for eleven NBA games, up 12% from a 2.5 through the same point last year.
The Shelby 427 draws a 6.5 final rating and 11.1 million viewers on FOX, down 8% from last year, but by far the highest rating of the weekend for a sporting event.

Saturday

‘The Tiger effect’ in action: The Golf Channel draws near record ratings for the first two days of the Accenture Match Play Championship, featuring Tiger Woods’ return. After Woods’ Thursday elimination, ratings plunge by at least 35% for the next three days of the event.
NASCAR’s Nationwide Series draws strong numbers on ESPN2.
Random items: The NBA and Comcast are close to a deal to shift NBA TV to the digital basic tier, a local television affiliate in Tallahassee takes on Florida State University, and ESPN plans to release two new movies to theaters.
Ratings predictions for the weekend in sports television.

Sunday