Yet another ratings high for the NFL 4:00 p.m window; according to Houston Chronicle writer David Barron, FOX coverage of the Dallas Cowboys versus the New York Giants drew a 19.1 average overnight rating, the highest rated sporting event since the Winter Olympics in February. The BCS Selection Show that followed scored a 9.4 overnight rating, on par with some NBA Finals and World Series games.
2006 has been a banner year for college and pro football. Ratings are extraordinarily high for both. While Sunday Night Football on NBC hasn’t been setting records, it has been performing very well against its competition. The 4:00 p.m late national games on FOX and CBS have been the truly impressive games so far; each of the last three weeks has seen a higher notch on the NFL’s ratings belt. Add to that the stellar performance of ESPN’s Monday Night Football and the NFL is seeing a year of all around growth.
I already wrote about how well college football has done this year. USC/UCLA scored an 8.2 overnight on Saturday in its 4:30 p.m timeslot, the highest of the three games ABC aired. With a USC/Michigan Rose Bowl, ABC looks to have what should easily be the second highest rated BCS game of the year. FOX will do well with the National Championship Game and the Sugar Bowl (Notre Dame/LSU) but should have mediocre if not bad ratings for the other two BCS games it has the rights to (Boise State, Wake Forest and Louisville are not big draws). Still, the lowest BCS ratings still get anywhere from a 7 to a 12 rating, which is more than decent considering what numbers comparable sports are getting.
All things considered, there hasn’t been a better year for football in a long time. Both the NFL and college football are in their prime, and the only question is if either will hit a ratings peak any time soon. With all the other sports faltering, football continues to do well with nearly all sports fans, and continues to dominate the competition.
