The British Open highlights this weekend’s ratings forecast. Also on tap, NASCAR’s Brickyard 400, the WNBA All-Star Game, Gold Cup and Tour de France.
First, the Results of Last Week’s Predictions
— Wimbledon final: Muguruza-V. Williams. Prediction: 1.4; final rating: 1.4.
— Wimbledon final: Federer-Cilic. Prediction: 1.6; final rating: 1.5.
— MLB: Yankees-Red Sox. Predictions: 0.3 (FS1), 0.4 (TBS), 1.4 (ESPN). Final ratings: 0.3, 0.45, 1.6.
— U.S. Women’s Open: Final Round. Prediction: 0.8; final rating: 0.6.
— Premier Boxing Champions: Figueroa-Guerrero. Prediction: 1.0; final rating: 0.6.
— NBA Summer League: Lakers-Nets. Prediction: 0.3; final rating: N/A.
This Week’s Predictions (All Times ET)
British Open: Third and Final Rounds (7 AM Sat & Sun NBC)
- It has been a rough year for golf and the majors have been no exception. The Masters tied its lowest final round rating since 1980 (6.8) and the U.S. Open posted its second-worst final round mark since at least 1981 (3.1). The British Open has a decent shot of reversing the trend with Jordan Spieth atop the leaderboard entering the weekend. In the post-Tiger Woods era, nobody in golf rivals Spieth’s drawing power. At the least, NBC’s ratings should be on par with last year, when the network pulled a 2.4 on Saturday and a 3.3 on Sunday. Predictions: 2.5 and 3.5.
NASCAR Cup Series: Brickyard 400 (3 PM Sun NBC)
- Airing on broadcast television for the first time in 11 years, and with the benefit of a British Open lead-in, the Brickyard 400 seems likely to deliver NASCAR’s first ratings increase of the season. While it is not wise to draw conclusions from one telecast, a decline this week would be an eye-opener. Last year’s race had a 3.1 rating on NBCSN. Prediction: 3.3.
WNBA All-Star Game (3 PM Sat ABC)
- The WNBA All-Star Game was never a big draw, but the most recent editions have really plumbed the depths. The 2015 game had just a 0.4 rating on ABC, and that was an increase over a 0.3 on ESPN the previous year. Do not expect this year’s game to turn things around, especially with Elena Delle Donne and Brittney Griner both out due to injury. Prediction: 0.3.
CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal: U.S.-Costa Rica (10 PM Sat Fox Sports 1)
- Two years ago, the USMNT’s Gold Cup semifinal against Jamaica pulled a 0.6 rating on Fox Sports 1 despite airing around rush hour on a weekday. With this year’s semifinal airing in a much better window – 10 PM on a Saturday – an uptick seems likely. Prediction: 0.7.
Tour de France: Stage 21 (10:30 AM Sun NBCSN)
- The final stage of the Tour de France pulled a 0.3 rating last year, a 0.3 in 2015, a 0.3 in 2014. Not going out on a limb here. Prediction: 0.3.
Weekend ratings predictions returns in a couple of weeks.
