First, the results of last week’s predictions.
Source: Sports Business Daily
| Sport | Game/Event | Net |
Prediction
|
Final rating
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFL | Colts/Cardinals | NBC |
12.5
|
10.7
|
| The 10.7 rating for the Colts’ blowout of the Cardinals last Sunday was off 20% from a 13.3 for Cowboys/Packers last year. | ||||
| NFL | Steelers/Bengals | CBS |
13.2
|
10.9
|
| The Bengals’ upset win over the Steelers last Sunday drew a 10.9 rating, down 9% from a 12.0 for last year’s comparable Steelers/Eagles game. | ||||
| NFL | Titans/Jets or other regional action | CBS |
9.1
|
6.8
|
| The first game of CBS’ NFL doubleheader drew a 6.8 rating, off 16% from last year, and the lowest NFL rating of the season. | ||||
| NFL | Falcons/Patriots or other regional action | FOX |
8.9
|
11.9
|
| The 11.9 rating for Sunday’s singleheader on FOX was up 37% from last year, and marked the highest rating for any NFL telecast during Week 3 — topping both CBS’ late national game and Sunday Night Football on NBC. | ||||
| MLB | Red Sox/Yankees | FOX |
2.4
|
2.1
|
| The 2.1 rating for last Saturday’s Red Sox/Yankees tilt on FOX was off 9% from comparable regional coverage last year. | ||||
| MLB | Red Sox/Yankees | ESPN |
2.3
|
n/a
|
| College football | Miami/Va. Tech or other regional action | ABC |
3.5
|
3.9
|
| Regional college football coverage featuring Miami/Virginia Tech drew a 3.9 rating on ABC last Saturday, up 18% from a 3.3 last year. | ||||
| College football | Iowa/Penn St. | ABC |
3.7
|
4.0
|
| Iowa’s upset win over Penn State last Saturday night drew a 4.0 rating on ABC, up 48% from a 2.7 for last year’s Georgia/Arizona State tilt. | ||||
| Golf | The Tour Championship, Final Rd. | NBC |
3.0
|
3.0
|
| Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods finished 1-2 at last week’s Tour Championship, with Mickelson winning the event and Woods winning the FedEx Cup. Not surprisingly, ratings improved dramatically — as the 3.0 for final round coverage was up 88% from a 1.6 last year. | ||||
| NASCAR | AAA 400 | ABC |
3.4
|
3.1
|
| NASCAR continues to stumble out of the gate for ABC. The 3.1 for last Sunday’s AAA 400 was off 6% from a 3.3 last year. | ||||
This week’s predictions:
| Sport | Game/Event | Date/Time | Net |
Prediction
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFL | Chargers/Steelers | 8:15 PM Sunday | NBC |
11.2
|
| Chargers/Steelers is unlikely to give NBC the kind of blockbuster numbers that Giants/Cowboys did in Week 2, but the game should improve on last year’s comparable Eagles/Bears game (10.8) and last week’s Colts/Cardinals game (10.7). | ||||
| NFL | Cowboys/Broncos or other regional action | 4:15 PM Sunday | FOX |
13.9
|
| For the first time this season, FOX gets the Cowboys in the late Sunday afternoon window. Against the undefeated Broncos, expect the Cowboys to bring in a big audience. Last year’s comparable Washington/Cowboys game drew a 13.0. | ||||
| NFL | Giants/Chiefs or other regional action | 1 PM Sunday | FOX |
7.7
|
| FOX begins its Sunday NFL doubleheader with a slate of four not-so-great matchups, featuring the Chiefs (0-3), Buccaneers (0-3), Seahawks (1-2) and Lions (1-19 in last 20 games). Do not expect particularly big numbers. | ||||
| NFL | Ravens/Patriots or other regional action | 1 PM Sunday | CBS |
8.6
|
| CBS should put up fairly decent numbers for its NFL singleheader this week, though not anywhere close to the 11.9 FOX drew for its Week 3 singleheader. | ||||
| College football | Oklahoma/Miami or USC/Cal | 8 PM Saturday | ABC |
5.2
|
| Two very high-profile college football programs face off on ABC Saturday night, as Oklahoma takes on Miami. Look for this Top 25 battle to draw the highest rating of the season for Saturday Night Football. | ||||
| College football | FSU/BC, Penn St./Illinois or UCLA/Stanford | 3:30 PM Saturday | ABC |
3.2
|
| A slate of decent, though unspectacular matchups should draw decent, though unspectacular ratings. | ||||
| College football | LSU/Georgia | 3:30 PM Saturday | CBS |
3.4
|
| This Top 25 meeting of SEC rivals should give CBS solid numbers on Saturday afternoon. Last year’s meeting between the teams drew a 3.0 rating. | ||||
| College football | Washington/Notre Dame | 3:30 PM Saturday | NBC |
2.3
|
| Look for Saturday’s Washington/Notre Dame game on NBC to draw better numbers than the 1.8 for last year’s comparable game on the network (Purdue/Notre Dame). | ||||
| MLB | Royals/Twins, Marlins/Phillies or Nationals/Braves | 4 PM Saturday | FOX |
1.5
|
| FOX ends its 2009 MLB coverage virtually assured of setting a record low for regular season MLB coverage on broadcast. With all four NL playoff spots wrapped up, most of the country gets Royals/Twins on Saturday. Expect FOX to end its MLB season with a whimper, instead of a bang. | ||||
| NASCAR | Price Chopper 400 | 2 PM Sunday | ABC |
3.3
|
| Both races in the Chase for the Cup have seen declines in ratings and viewership versus last year. Look for more of the same for Sunday’s Price Chopper 400; last year’s race drew a 3.5. | ||||
| WNBA | Mercury/Fever Game 3 | 4 PM Sunday | ESPN2 |
0.32
|
| Tied 1-1, the 2009 WNBA Finals head to Indianapolis for crucial Game 3. Opposite the NFL on FOX, do not expect Mercury/Fever to draw many casual fans. Still, ratings should improve upon the 0.22 for last year’s Silver Stars/Shock Game 3. | ||||
