First, the results of last week’s predictions.
| Sport | Game | Net | Prediction | Final rating |
| PGA Tour | Accenture Match Play Championship, Final Round | NBC | 2.6 | 1.9 |
| The 1.9 final rating for the final round of the Accenture Match Play Championship was down 37% from a 3.0 for last year, when Tiger Woods won the event. | ||||
| NBA | Pistons/Celtics | ABC | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Ratings inched up for the Pistons’ upset victory over the Celtics last Sunday. The 2.2 final rating was up 5% from a 2.1 for last year’s comparable Bulls/Cavaliers game. | ||||
| NBA | Lakers/Suns | ABC | 2.5 | 3.1 |
| Shaq versus Kobe put up strong numbers on ABC last Sunday. The Suns’ win over the Lakers drew a 3.1 final rating, up 3% from a 3.0 for last year’s Mavericks/Lakers tilt. | ||||
| NASCAR | Shelby 427 | FOX | 6.6 | 6.5 |
| NASCAR continues to dominate. While the 6.5 final rating for last Sunday’s Shelby 427 was down 8% from a 7.1 for last year’s race, it was easily the highest rating of the weekend. | ||||
This week’s predictions.
| Sport | Game | Date/Time | Net | Prediction |
| College basketball | Duke/North Carolina | 4 PM Sunday | CBS | 2.7 |
| The biggest rivalry in college basketball hits broadcast television for the first time in two years. So far this season, ratings for college basketball games on broadcast have been generally mediocre, with CBS’ highest rating of the season being a 2.2 for a Kentucky/Louisville game in January. Look for Duke/UNC to easily surpass that number. The last time Duke played North Carolina on CBS, the game drew a 3.0 rating, and their battle earlier this season drew a 2.1 on cable. | ||||
| NBA | Suns/Spurs | 3:30 PM Sunday | ABC | 2 |
| NBA ratings have been generally up this season, with ABC seeing increases for nine of its eleven telecasts. This week, look for a rare ratings decline. ABC is airing a Phoenix Suns game for the third straight week, and a Suns/Spurs matchup for the second time this season. With the Suns currently out of the playoff race, and opposite Duke/North Carolina, look for ratings to dip somewhat compared to a 2.1 for the comparable matchup last year — another Spurs/Suns game. | ||||
| NASCAR | Kobalt Tools 500 | 2 PM Sunday | FOX | 6.1 |
| Expect another week of strong ratings for NASCAR on FOX. Last year’s Kobalt Tools 500 drew a 6.4 rating; expect a modest decline this time around. | ||||
| NHL | Bruins/Rangers | 12:30 PM Sunday | NBC | 0.9 |
| The NHL returns to NBC with the top team in the East taking on the team from the top television market in the country. Last year’s comparable Penguins/Capitals game drew a 0.8 rating. | ||||
| PGA Tour | Honda Classic, Final Round | 3 PM Sunday | NBC | 1.9 |
| While this may be another lost weekend without Tiger Woods, do not expect a huge drop in television ratings. Woods did not play in the Honda Classic last year, and the event drew a 2.1 rating. Expect similar numbers for this year’s event. | ||||
