A review of the articles on this website from March 30 to April 5.
Monday
- Elite Eight overnights: Connecticut/Missouri draws a 6.2 (+15%), Villanova/Pittsburgh draws a 7.5 (+6%), and Michigan St./Louisville draws a 5.9 (+4%). Meanwhile, the highest rated game of the weekend is also the only game to see a decline, as the 6.8 for North Carolina/Oklahoma is off 17%.
- Tiger Woods‘ comeback victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational draws a 4.9/10 overnight, the highest overnight for a non-major PGA Tour event in over two years.
- Mavericks/Cavaliers draws a 2.2 overnight, up 22% from a 1.8 for Rockets/Spurs in ’08, and the first NBA game on ABC in three weeks to see increased ratings.
- The Seattle Sounders’ first game in team history drew a 3.4 rating locally.
- ESPN and YouTube agree to a deal that will create an ad-supported ESPN-branded channel on the website.
- NFL preseason schedule: FOX gets the first preseason game at the Cowboys’ new stadium. Elsewhere, ESPN gets a Super Bowl rematch between the Steelers and Cardinals, and NBC will open the season with Terrell Owens‘ Bills’ debut in the Hall of Fame Game.
Tuesday
- For the sixth straight race, NASCAR sees a double-digit decline in overnight ratings.
- NBC’s coverage of the World Figure Skating Championship sees a 100% increase in overnight ratings.
- ESPN plans to unveil new graphics and music for SportsCenter to coincide with the new L.A. based version of the program.
- Notable personalities: WNBC’s Len Berman, leaving the network after 24 years, Dave Winfield, officially hired by ESPN, and P.J. Carlisemo, the newest TNT NBA analyst.
- Most of the readers on this website agree: Tiger Woods moves the needle like no other.
- Overnight ratings for a college basketball dominated weekend.
Wednesday
- CBS is seeing record results for its March Madness on Demand service.
- Tennis analyst John McEnroe will join ESPN2 for the network’s coverage of the U.S. Open.
Thursday
- The 2009 Stanley Cup Finals schedule features Games 1 and 2 on back-to-back nights, and two games that will take place on the same night as the NBA Finals.
- The vast majority of readers on this site think the NHL scheduling Stanley Cup Finals games opposite the NBA Finals is a horrible move.
Friday
- ABC is on pace to have its highest rated NBA season since 2003-04.
- NASCAR ratings continue their downward trend on FOX.
- The final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational draws the highest rating for the event since ’02, and the highest rating for any non-major PGA Tour event since the ’07 Buick Invitational.
Saturday
- The Elite Eight averages a 6.0 rating on CBS, tied as the lowest average ever for the round.
- Ratings for every game of the 2009 NCAA Tournament entering the Final Four.
- Ratings for every single Final Four telecast since 2001.
- Ratings predictions for a packed sports weekend.
Sunday
- Michigan State’s victory over Connecticut sees a double-digit increase in overnight ratings, but the 8.7 overnight is still the third-lowest for a National Semifinal since ’05.
- North Carolina’s presence in the National Championship Game figures to boost the ratings, but their win over Villanova in the National Semifinal had minimal impact.
- When given a choice between MLB Opening Night and the Women’s Final Four, most readers on this site planned to choose the former.
