First, the results of last week’s predictions.
Source: Sports Business Daily
| Sport | Game/Event | Net |
Prediction
|
Final rating
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFL | Jets/Bengals | NBC |
14.4
|
15.2
|
| Last Saturday’s Jets/Bengals AFC Wild Card game drew a 15.2 final rating on NBC, up 16% from Falcons/Cardinals last year (13.1), and the highest rating for the early Saturday Wild Card game since ’99. | ||||
| NFL | Eagles/Cowboys | NBC |
17.2
|
18.0
|
| The Cowboys’ easy win over the Eagles last Saturday night drew an 18.0 final rating on NBC, up 12% from Colts/Chargers last year (16.1), and the highest rating for the late Saturday Wild Card game since ’99. | ||||
| NFL | Ravens/Patriots | CBS |
16.7
|
16.9
|
| The 16.9 final rating for last Sunday’s Ravens/Patriots Wild Card game marks a 13% increase over a 15.0 for Ravens/Dolphins last year. | ||||
| NFL | Packers/Cardinals | FOX |
17.8
|
19.6
|
| The Cardinals’ overtime win over the Packers last Sunday drew a 19.6 final rating, up 11% from last year, and the highest rating for any NFL Wild Card game since ’99. | ||||
| Football | U.S. Army All-American Bowl | NBC |
1.5
|
1.4
|
| Last Saturday’s U.S. Army All-American Bowl drew a 1.4 final rating on NBC, off 7% from last year. | ||||
| College basketball | Kansas/Tennessee | CBS |
2.0
|
2.5
|
| Boosted by a lead-in from the Ravens/Patriots Wild Card game, last Sunday’s Kansas/Tennessee matchup drew a 2.5 final rating on CBS — tied as the highest for a regular season college basketball game on the network since Duke/North Carolina last March (2.9). | ||||
| NBA | Cavaliers/Trail Blazers | ESPN |
1.3
|
1.2
|
| Last Sunday’s Cavaliers/Blazers game drew a 1.2 U.S. rating on ESPN, slightly above the network’s 1.1 season average. | ||||
This week’s predictions:
| Sport | Game/Event | Date/Time | Net | Prediction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFL | Cardinals/Saints | 4:30 PM Saturday | FOX |
15.6
|
| The NFL’s Divisional Round begins with the defending NFC champion Cardinals taking on the Saints. Expect this game to be the lowest rated of the Divisional Round. Last year’s comparable Ravens/Titans game drew a 15.4. | ||||
| NFL | Ravens/Colts | 8 PM Saturday | CBS |
17.3
|
| This game will not be quite the draw Eagles/Cowboys was a week earlier. Still, look for Ravens/Colts to draw a much higher rating than last year’s comparable Cardinals/Panthers matchup. | ||||
| NFL | Cowboys/Vikings | 1 PM Sunday | FOX |
21.5
|
| America’s team takes on America’s quarterback. The Cowboys are always a big draw. As evidence, just look at their game last week against the Eagles — an uncompetitive blowout that still managed to draw the highest rating for a Saturday Wild Card game in 11 years. Meanwhile, Brett Favre is a marquee attraction in his own right, as games involving his Vikings — albeit against his former team, the Packers — were the highest rated of the regular season on both broadcast and cable. With that in mind, expect gigantic ratings for Sunday’s made-for-TV matchup. Last year’s comparable Eagles/Giants game drew an 18.7. | ||||
| NFL | Jets/Chargers | 4:30 PM Sunday | CBS |
20.0
|
| Expect ratings to inch up for Sunday’s Jets/Chargers Divisional Round game on CBS. Last year’s comparable Chargers/Steelers matchup drew a 19.6. | ||||
| College basketball (W) | Notre Dame/Connecticut | 9 PM Saturday | ESPN |
0.9
|
| With the added presence of College Gameday and Dick Vitale, look for Saturday night’s women’s college basketball matchup between Notre Dame and Connecticut to hold its own in the ratings — even opposite the NFL playoffs. ESPN’s first Saturday Primetime telecast last year (North Carolina/Miami) drew a 1.1 U.S. rating. | ||||
| College basketball (M) | Illinois/Michigan St. | 3:30 PM Saturday | CBS |
0.7
|
| Connecticut/Michigan | 1:30 PM Sunday |
0.6
|
||
| Opposite NFL action on FOX on both Saturday and Sunday — and without the benefit of a lead-in from NFL games on CBS — expect miniscule numbers for CBS’ slate of college basketball coverage this weekend. Last year, Wisconsin/Purdue (opposite an NFL Divisional Round game on FOX) drew a 0.5 rating. | ||||
| NHL | Blackhawks/Red Wings | 12:30 PM Sunday | NBC |
0.9
|
| NBC begins its regular run of NHL coverage with a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals. Blackhawks/Red Wings should do well in both Chicago and Detroit. But opposite Cowboys/Vikings, expect the numbers to be very small nationally. Last year’s comparable Rangers/Penguins telecast drew a 1.0 rating. | ||||
| NBA | Jazz/Nuggets | 9 PM Sunday | ESPN |
1.0
|
| ESPN presents a Sunday night NBA telecast for the second straight week. Do not expect Jazz/Nuggets to match the 1.2 rating for last week’s LeBron James-fueled Cavaliers/Blazers matchup. | ||||
