First, the results of last week’s predictions.
Source: Sports Business Daily
| Sport | Game/Event | Net |
Prediction
|
Final rating
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | Angels/Yankees Game 2 | FOX |
6.2
|
5.8
|
| The 5.8 rating for the Yankees’ Game 2 win over the Angels last Saturday was up 53% from a 3.8 for last year’s comparable Red Sox/Rays Game 2. | ||||
| MLB | Dodgers/Phillies Game 3 | TBS |
4.3
|
3.0
|
| The Phillies’ 11-0 blowout win over the Dodgers last Sunday drew a 3.0 U.S. rating, down 46% from a 5.6 for Game 3 between the same teams on FOX last year. | ||||
| NFL | Bears/Falcons | NBC |
10.0
|
10.9
|
| Last Sunday’s Bears/Falcons game drew a 10.9 rating, up 33% from last year’s Patriots/Chargers game (8.2), and the highest rated Sunday Night Football telecast opposite the MLB League Championship Series since NBC began airing Sunday night games in ’06. | ||||
| NFL | Titans/Patriots or Bills/Jets | CBS |
11.3
|
14.6
|
| Despite featuring the Patriots’ 59-0 blowout of the Titans, last Sunday’s late national window on CBS drew a 14.6 rating, down just 1% from last year, and the third-highest rating of the season for an NFL telecast. | ||||
| NFL | Ravens/Vikings or other regional action | CBS |
8.2
|
9.3
|
| The first game of CBS’ Week 6 NFL doubleheader drew a 9.3 rating, up 21% from a 7.7 for comparable coverage on FOX last year. | ||||
| NFL | Giants/Saints or other regional action | FOX |
11.0
|
11.0
|
| Regional NFL coverage (featuring Giants/Saints) drew an 11.0 rating on FOX last week, the second-highest rating of the season for the NFL singleheader. | ||||
| College football | Oklahoma/Texas | ABC |
5.1
|
5.7
|
| Last Saturday’s Oklahoma/Texas battle drew a 5.7 rating on ABC, up 10% from a 5.1 for the same matchup the same timeslot last year. The 5.7 is the third-highest of the season for a college football game. | ||||
| College football | Minnesota/Penn St. or other regional action | ABC |
4.5
|
3.2
|
| Despite a strong lead-in from Oklahoma/Texas, regional college football action on ABC last Saturday drew a 3.2 rating, down 30% from a 4.6 last year. | ||||
| College football | USC/Notre Dame | NBC |
3.6
|
4.1
|
| The USC/Notre Dame rivalry propelled NBC to its highest Notre Dame rating since ’06. The 4.1 for USC’s win was up 128% from last year’s comparable game, and marks the only time in the past three years that a Notre Dame game on NBC has drawn at least a 4.0 rating. | ||||
| College football | Arkansas/Florida | CBS |
3.0
|
4.3
|
| Last Saturday’s Arkansas/Florida game drew a 4.3 rating on CBS, the second-highest rating of the weekend for a college football game — behind only Oklahoma/Texas. | ||||
| College football | South Carolina/Alabama | ESPN |
3.0
|
2.8
|
| ESPN drew a 2.8 U.S. rating for last Saturday’s South Carolina/Alabama tilt, up 87% from a 1.5 for last year’s comparable Penn State/Wisconsin game. | ||||
| NASCAR | Banking 500 | ABC |
3.6
|
3.5
|
| NASCAR’s Banking 500 drew a 3.5 rating on ABC last Saturday night, down 8% from a 3.8 last year, and the lowest rating for the race since 2001. | ||||
This week’s predictions:
| Sport | Game/Event | Date/Time | Net |
Prediction
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | Angels/Yankees Game 6 | 8 PM Sunday | FOX |
8.3
|
| Postponed from Saturday, the lowest rated night of the week, expect Sunday’s Game 6 of the Angels/Yankees ALCS to put up strong numbers on FOX. Last year, Red Sox/Rays Game 6 drew a 5.4 on TBS; in ’07, Indians/Red Sox Game 6 drew a 6.6. Both of those games aired on Saturday night. | ||||
| NFL | Falcons/Cowboys (or other regional action) | 4:15 PM Sunday | FOX |
14.0
|
| With the Falcons at 4-1 and the Cowboys always a big draw, this battle of Top 10 markets should put up strong numbers on FOX Sunday. Last year, Colts/Packers drew a 14.2 on CBS. | ||||
| NFL | Vikings/Steelers (or other regional action) | 1 PM Sunday | FOX |
9.6
|
| With Brett Favre and the undefeated Vikings taking on the defending champion Steelers, look for FOX to attract a big audience for the first game of its NFL doubleheader. Last year, comparable coverage on CBS drew a 6.4. | ||||
| NFL | Patriots/Buccaneers (or other regional action) | 1 PM Sunday | CBS |
8.9
|
| The Patriots are always a big attraction, but their drawing power may be limited against the 0-6 Buccaneers. Last year, FOX drew a 10.1 for its Week 7 singleheader. | ||||
| NFL | Cardinals/Giants | 8:15 PM Sunday | NBC |
9.9
|
| Opposite Game 6 of the ALCS on FOX, look for Sunday Night Football to draw near season-low numbers on NBC. Still, Cardinals/Giants should attract a much larger audience than last year’s comparable Seahawks/Buccaneers tilt (6.3). | ||||
| College football | Texas/Missouri or Oregon St./USC | 8 PM Saturday | ABC |
3.8
|
| Saturday Night Football returns after a weeklong hiatus. Without competition from the baseball playoffs, look for Saturday’s regional action to improve over last year’s comparable Missouri/Texas game (3.1). | ||||
| College football | Penn St./Michigan (or other regional action) | 3:30 PM Saturday | ABC |
3.6
|
| Regional college football action featuring #10 Miami, #11 Oregon and #13 Penn State should draw decent numbers on ABC Saturday afternoon. Last year’s comparable regional action drew a 3.8. | ||||
| College football | Boston College/Notre Dame | 3:30 PM Saturday | NBC |
2.8
|
| After a rough start, Notre Dame football has been attracting solid numbers on NBC. The past three Notre Dame telecasts have been three of the four highest rated on NBC since ’06. Look for the relatively good numbers to continue on Saturday; last year’s comparable Pittsburgh/Notre Dame game drew a 2.4. | ||||
| College football | Tennessee/Alabama | 3:30 PM Saturday | CBS |
3.0
|
| The SEC on CBS is averaging a 3.9 rating through last week’s games, up 44% from last year, and the highest average at this point in the season since ’96. Look for the good times to continue with Saturday’s Tennessee/Alabama game. Last year’s comparable Mississippi/Alabama game drew a 2.0. | ||||
| College football | Florida/Mississippi St. | 7:30 PM Saturday | ESPN |
2.9
|
| Despite dropping to #2 in the AP, do not expect Florida to lose any of its drawing power. Look for the Gators’ tilt against Mississippi state to see a solid increase in ratings over a 2.2 for last year’s LSU/South Carolina tilt. | ||||
| NASCAR | Tums Fast Relief 500 | 1:30 PM Sunday | ABC |
3.4
|
| After a long run of lower ratings, is this the week when NASCAR finally turns it around?. Last year’s race drew a 3.3. | ||||
