Overnight ratings for sporting events on broadcast.
Source: Sports Business Daily
Basketball
| Sport | Game/Event | Date | Time | Net | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College basketball | North Carolina/Villanova | Sat., 4/4/09 | 9:00 PM | CBS |
9.3/17
|
| College basketball | Michigan St./Connecticut | Sat, 4/4/09 | 6:00 PM | CBS |
8.7/18
|
| NBA | Suns/Mavericks | Sun., 4/5/09 | 3:30 PM | ABC |
2.4/-
|
| NBA | Spurs/Cavaliers | Sun., 4/5/09 | 1:00 PM | ABC |
2.3/-
|
| College basketball | The Final Four Show | Sat., 4/4/09 | 4:00 PM | CBS |
1.9/5
|
| NBA | NBA Countdown | Sun., 4/5/09 | 12:30 PM | ABC |
1.1/-
|
| College basketball | The Road to the Final Four: Outside the Games | Sat., 4/4/09 | 3:30 PM | CBS |
0.9/2
|
| College basketball | Best of College Basketball 2009 | Sun., 4/5/09 | 12:00 PM | CBS |
0.8/2
|
- CBS averaged a 9.0 overnight for coverage of the National Semifinals on Saturday, up 6% from an 8.5 last year, but down 3% from a 9.3 in ’07. The 8.7 for Michigan State’s win over Connecticut was up a solid 12% from a 7.8 last year, while the 9.3 for North Carolina’s defeat of Villanova was up 2%.
- ABC’s NBA doubleheader averaged a 2.4 overnight on Sunday, down slightly from a 2.5 for comparable coverage last year. In particular, Spurs/Cavaliers was up 15%, while Suns/Mavericks was down 17%.
Golf
| Sport | Game/Event | Date | Time | Net | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PGA | Shell Houston Open, Final Round | Sun., 4/5/09 | 3:00 PM | NBC |
2.7/6
|
| PGA | Shell Houston Open, Third Round | Sat., 4/4/09 | 1:00 PM | NBC |
1.5/4
|
| LPGA | Kraft Nabisco Championship, Final Round | Sun., 4/5/09 | 3:00 PM | CBS |
0.8/2
|
- The 2.7 overnight for final round coverage of the Shell Houston Open was up a whopping 42% from a 1.9 last year, and marks the highest final round overnight for the event since ’05.
- Meanwhile, the 0.8 overnight for final round coverage of the LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship on CBS was flat from last year.
Auto racing
| Sport | Game/Event | Date | Time | Net | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR | Samsung 500 | Sun., 4/5/09 | 2:00 PM | FOX |
4.2/10
|
| American Le Mans Series | Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg | Sat., 4/4/09 | 1:30 PM | ABC |
0.5/-
|
- Yet again, NASCAR saw a double-digit drop in overnight ratings. The 4.2 for the Samsung 500 marks an 11% decline from last year’s 4.7/10. So far this season, NASCAR races have averaged a 5.1/10 overnight rating, down 15% from last year.
- The 0.5 overnight for the Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg was off 17% from a 0.6 for coverage of the same event in ’08.
Tennis
| Sport | Game/Event | Date | Time | Net | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennis | Sony Ericsson Open, Women’s Final, Azarenka/Williams | Sat., 4/4/09 | 12:30 PM | CBS |
0.9/3
|
| Tennis | Sony Ericsson Open, Men’s Final, Murray/Djokovic | Sun., 4/5/09 | 1:00 PM | CBS |
0.9/2
|
- Serena Williams blowout loss to a general unknown saw a big decline in ratings. The 0.9 for Victoria Azarenka‘s victory over Williams was down 25% from a 1.2 for last year’s comparable Williams/Jankovic match-up, and 44% from a 1.6 for Williams/Henin in ’07.
Other
| Sport | Game/Event | Date | Time | Net | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horse racing | Santa Anita Derby | Sat., 4/4/09 | 5:00 PM | NBC |
1.6/4
|
| NHL | Wild/Red Wings | Sun., 4/5/09 | 12:30 PM | NBC |
0.9/2
|
- The 0.9 overnight for Wild/Red Wings on Sunday was up 13% from a 0.8 for last year’s Blackhawks/Red Wings tilt.
