Recent sports TV ratings notes, including college football numbers on ABC, another decline for Major League Baseball on FOX, and a sizable decline for the FedEx Cup BMW Championship.
- College Football Ratings on ABC: Regional college football action featuring #23 Texas against UCLA in 71% of markets earned a 2.8 final rating and 4.355 million viewers on ABC last Saturday afternoon, up 8% in ratings and 5% in viewership from last year (NEB/UW*: 2.6, 4.159M), and down 10% and 8%, respectively, from 2009 (USC/UW*: 3.1, 4.754M). Earlier in the day, Clemson/#21 Auburn drew a 3.1 and 4.410 million. (For Saturday Night Football ratings, click here).
- MLB on FOX Down Again: Last Saturday’s edition of MLB on FOX, featuring Rays/Red Sox in 66% of markets, earned a 1.5 final rating and 2.167 million viewers — down 6% in ratings and 12% in viewership from the 25th telecast last year (BOS/NYY*: 1.6, 2.468M), and down 29% and 33%, respectively, from 2009 (BOS/NYY*: 2.1, 3.227M). Of the past sixteen MLB telecasts on FOX, twelve have had declines in ratings and eleven have had declines in viewership.
- Big Drop For BMW Championship: Final round coverage of the PGA Tour FedEx Cup BMW Championship earned a 0.9 final rating and 1.326 million viewers on CBS, down 31% in ratings and 30% in viewership from last year (1.3, 1.889M), and down 61% in both measures compared to 2009, when Tiger Woods won the event (2.3, 3.428M). Saturday’s third round action drew a 0.7 and 982,000 viewers, down 36% in ratings and 34% in viewership from last year (1.1, 1.477M). This year’s coverage was affected by rain.
(This week’s numbers from Nielsen)
