Overnight (metered-market) ratings by sport:
Football.
11.7/18: Sunday Night Football on NBC, Chargers/Patriots (8:15 PM Sunday)
11.5/22: NFL on CBS, Chiefs/Bears (4:00 PM Sunday)
10.9/23: NFL on FOX, Regional action (1:00 PM Sunday)
10.5/23: NFL on CBS, Regional action (1:00 PM Sunday)
5.3: Football Night in America on NBC (7:00 PM Sunday)
5.0: Saturday Night Football on ABC, USC/Nebraska (8:00 PM Saturday)
3.1: FOX NFL Sunday (12:00 PM Sunday)
2.9/7: SEC on CBS, Tennessee/Florida (3:30 PM Saturday)
2.7/7: The NFL Today on CBS (12:00 PM Sunday)
2.7: College football on ABC, Notre Dame/Michigan (3:30 PM Saturday)
1.0: College Football Countdown on ABC (3:00 PM Saturday)
0.8/2: College Football Today on CBS (3:00 PM Saturday)
- The 11.2 combined average for NFL coverage on FOX, CBS and NBC Sunday is down 1% from an 11.3 average for NFL coverage last season.
- FOX: Ratings fell by a decent margin for FOX on Sunday; the network’s lone game fell 14% from last year, while FOX NFL Sunday was off 6%.
- NBC: For the third straight game, ratings were down for NBC NFL coverage; Chargers/Patriots, despite the significant interest drummed up from the videotaping scandal involving New England during the week, fell 7% from the comparable Washington/Cowboys game last year. Football Night in America was off 9%.
- CBS: While FOX and NBC have faltered somewhat, CBS had its second straight week of significant increases in NFL coverage, which may indicate increased viewer interest in the AFC. Early game coverage was up 27% from last year, while The NFL Today rose 4% over last year’s numbers. Chiefs/Bears fell from last year’s comparable Patriots/Jets game, but by only 2%.
- ABC: More mixed ratings for college football on ABC. Coverage during the 3:30-7:00 window fell 25% from the comparable game on the network last year, as viewers were less than enamored with Michigan/Notre Dame; the Wolverines’ blowout win over the moribund Irish fell 45% from the 4.9 rating the same match-up earned on NBC in 2006. Meanwhile, USC/Nebraska saw a 35% jump from last year, from a 3.6 overnight to a 5.0. The 3.9 combined overnight for ABC’s Saturday coverage finished up 5% from a 3.7 combined overnight for last year’s coverage.
Golf.
3.3/7: FedEx Cup on NBC, Tour Championship, Final round (1:30 PM Sunday)
2.8/7: FedEx Cup on NBC, Tour Championship, Third round (2:00 PM Saturday)
- The FedEx Cup did not draw gigantic numbers during its inaugural run, but the ratings were a significant increase over last year’s numbers. The 3.3 overnight for final round of the Tour Championship was up 200% over a 1.1 overnight for the final round of the same tournament in 2006. Saturday coverage was up 87% over ’06.
Other.
3.0/7: MLB on FOX, Yankees/Red Sox (3:30 PM Saturday)
2.8: NASCAR on ABC, Sylvania 300 (2:00 PM Sunday)
1.3: NASCAR Countdown on ABC (1:00 PM Sunday)
0.5/1: Ultimate Blackjack Tour on CBS (2:00 PM Saturday)
- The Yankees and Red Sox are the perfect placebo for Major League Baseball’s ratings woes. The 3.0/7 overnight for the umpteenth battle between the AL East rivals is up 11% over comparable coverage last year.
- The Chase for the Cup found itself overshadowed by football, baseball and golf, and the beyond mediocre ratings were a clear reflection of that.
