First, the results of last week’s predictions.
Source: Sports Business Daily
| Sport | Game/Event | Net |
Prediction
|
Final rating
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NBA | Lakers/Magic Game 5 | ABC |
10.5
|
8.0
|
| The 8.0 for the last game of the 2008-09 NBA season was down 22% from a 10.2 for Celtics/Lakers Game 5 last year, and marks the lowest rating for a Game 5 in the NBA Finals since 2003. The 8.0 finished as the second-lowest rating of the Lakers/Magic NBA Finals, ahead of only Game 1 (7.8), and down 15% from Game 4 (9.4). | ||||
| NASCAR | LifeLock 400 | TNT |
3.0
|
3.3
|
| The 3.3 for the LifeLock 400 is even with last year’s race, marking the first time all season that a NASCAR race did not have declining ratings. | ||||
| Golf | St. Jude Classic, Final Round | CBS |
2.4
|
1.8
|
| Despite the attention-grabbing returns of Phil Mickleson and John Daly to the PGA Tour, the 1.8 rating for the final round of the St. Jude Classic was off 5% from last year’s 1.9. | ||||
| MLB | Mets/Yankees | TBS |
0.9
|
N/A
|
| Ratings for last Sunday’s Mets/Yankees game on TBS are unavailable. | ||||
This week’s predictions:
| Sport | Game/Event | Date/Time | Net |
Prediction
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golf | U.S. Open, Third/Final Round | 11 AM Sunday | NBC |
5.8
|
| The rain-drenched U.S. Open will get an early start on NBC Sunday, as coverage will begin at 11 AM, 2 1/2 hours earlier than the original 1:30 PM start. Ratings will more than likely take a hit due to a variety of factors, not the least of which is the rain that threatens to push the conclusion of the tournament to Monday. Last year, Sunday coverage — which had a mid-afternoon start and aired well into prime time — drew a 7.5 rating on NBC. | ||||
| NASCAR | Toyota/SaveMart 350 | 5 PM Sunday | TNT |
3.6
|
| Look for TNT to draw its highest NASCAR rating of the season with this Sunday’s Toyota/SaveMart 350. Last year, the race drew a 3.7. | ||||
| IRL | Iowa Corn Indy 250 | 1 PM Sunday | ABC |
0.8
|
| The IRL returns to broadcast television on Sunday, coming off of double-digit declines for the first two races of the season on ABC — the Indianapolis 500 and the ABC Supply A.J. Foyt 225.. Last year’s Iowa Corn Indy 250 drew a 1.1 rating on ABC. | ||||
| MLB | Rays/Mets or other regional action | 4 PM Saturday | FOX |
1.7
|
| Ratings for MLB on FOX the last six weeks: 1.7, 1.6, 1.9, 1.6, 1.5 and 2.3. Last week’s bump came courtesy a Mets/Yankees matchup. Look for the numbers to head back southward this week; coverage on the comparable date last year drew a 1.7. | ||||
