After strong ratings in prime time last year, the U.S. Figure Skating Championships saw a double-digit drop.
Prime time coverage of the Ladies’ Free Skate drew a 3.0/5 overnight rating on NBC Saturday night, down 21% from a 3.8 last year. While the 3.0 was off from ’08, it still marks the second-highest rating of the weekend for a sporting event on broadcast, behind only a Spurs/Lakers NBA game on ABC.
Ratings also dropped for the Men’s Free Skate on Sunday. NBC drew a 2.3/5 overnight for coverage from 4-6 PM on Sunday, down 34% from a 3.5/5 for coverage of the same event last year, when it aired from 7-9 PM.
The lone bright spot of the weekend was Saturday afternoon coverage of the Pairs’ Free Skate, which drew a 2.1/5 overnight — up 5% from a 2.0/5 for coverage in a similar timeslot in ’08.
Overall, NBC’s coverage of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships averaged a 2.5 overnight rating, down 19% from a 3.5 average for last year’s coverage.
