First, the results of last week’s predictions:
- US Open on NBC. Predictions: 3.7 and 5.8. Final ratings: 4.1 and 6.4. Tiger Woods was in contention at the very end on Sunday, helping NBC to its best final round rating since 2002. The 4.1 rating for third round coverage on Saturday was the best since 2004.
- MLB on FOX, Regional action. Prediction: 2.7. Final rating: 2.1. Evidently Barry Bonds at Fenway is not enough to bring in a larger audience. On weeks when the New York Yankees are not playing, FOX draws mediocre ratings for its Game of the Week.
- Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN, Yankees/Mets. Prediction: 2.6. Final rating: 2.4. The New York Yankees are the Tiger Woods of baseball; nearly every nationally televised game the team has played in this year has drawn strong ratings.
- NASCAR on TNT, Citizens Bank 400. Prediction: 2.7. Final rating: 3.3. Despite airing opposite the final round of the U.S. Open, NASCAR draws a big rating on cable. Expect numbers in the 3 range for the duration of TNT’s six-week coverage.
This week’s predictions:
- MLB on FOX, Yankees/Giants, 3:30 PM Saturday — The combination of the New York Yankees and Barry Bonds might be good enough to give FOX its highest baseball rating of the year so far. Prediction: 3.4.
- Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN, Tigers/Braves, 8:00 PM Sunday — Without the Yankees, Red Sox or Mets playing, ratings for Sunday Night Baseball games are fairly ordinary. This game might be hard pressed to draw even half of the 2.4 rating Yankees/Mets drew last week. Prediction: 1.4.
- IRL on ABC, Ethanol IndyCar 250, 1:00 PM Sunday — Expect this Indy Car race on broadcast to be outdrawn significantly by the comparable NASCAR race on cable. Prediction: 1.3.
- NASCAR on TNT, Toyota/Save Mart 350, 5:00 PM Sunday — With a late afternoon start time, expect a big rating for this NASCAR race. Prediction: 3.9.
