First, the results of last week’s predictions.
Source: Sports Business Daily
| Sport | Game/Event | Net |
Prediction
|
Final rating
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golf | PGA Championship, Final Round | CBS |
6.4
|
6.6
|
| Y.E. Yang‘s victory at the PGA Championship drew a 6.6/15 final rating on CBS, up 136% from last year.s 2.8/6, and up 6% from a 6.2/14 in ’07. The 6.6 rating is the highest for final round coverage of the PGA Championship since ’06 (7.0/16), and marks the second-highest rating of the year for a golf telecast. | ||||
| NASCAR | Carfax 400 | ESPN |
3.3
|
3.5
|
| For only the second time in 2009, ratings increased for a NASCAR race. The 3.5 U.S. rating for last Sunday’s Carfax 400 was up 6% from a 3.3 last year, but still marked the second-lowest rating for a regularly-scheduled edition of the race since ’01. | ||||
| Gymnastics | Visa Championships | NBC |
2.2
|
1.7
|
| Prime time coverage of the Visa Championships drew a 1.7 rating on NBC last Saturday, even with comparable coverage in ’07. | ||||
| Track & Field | World Track & Field Championships | NBC |
1.4
|
1.1
|
| NBC drew a 1.1 rating for coverage of the World Track & Field Championships last Sunday, down 27% from a 1.5 for taped coverage in an earlier timeslot in ’07. | ||||
This week’s predictions:
| Sport | Game/Event | Date/Time | Net |
Prediction
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | Yankees/Red Sox or Cubs/Dodgers | 4 PM Saturday | FOX |
2.7
|
| For the second time in three weeks, FOX features the highest-profile matchup in Major League Baseball. FOX drew a 2.7 rating for both of its previous Yankees/Red Sox games this season; look for more of the same this week. | ||||
| MLB | Yankees/Red Sox | 8 PM Sunday | ESPN |
3.2
|
| Two weeks ago, ESPN drew a 3.0 U.S. rating for a Sunday night Yankees/Red Sox game opposite the NFL on NBC. With no such competition this week, expect even bigger numbers. | ||||
| NASCAR | Sharpie 500 | 7:30 PM Saturday | ESPN |
3.2
|
| With some slight momentum after last week’s ratings increase, NASCAR heads under the lights on Saturday night. Expect another increase this week, as ratings for the Sharpie 500 should rise above last year’s Olympic-hampered 3.0. | ||||
| Golf | Wyndham Championship, Final Round | 3 PM Sunday | CBS |
1.1
|
| After big ratings for the PGA Championship, do not expect marquee numbers for this week’s Wyndham Championship. Still, final round ratings should easily surpass last year’s terrible 0.9. | ||||
| Track & Field | World Track & Field Championships | 1 PM Sat. | NBC |
1.1
|
| 2 PM Sunday |
1.2
|
|||
| Usain Bolt‘s exploits have seemingly resulted in extra attention for the World Track & Field Championships. Still, NBC’s coverage during the first week finished below comparable coverage in ’07. This weekend, expect mixed results. Comparable coverage in ’07 drew a 1.0 on Saturday and a 1.3 on Sunday. | ||||
