First, the results of last week’s predictions:
- NFL on CBS, Steelers/Patriots, 4 PM Sunday. Prediction: 17.2. Final rating: 18.4. In a year of titanic games drawing enormous ratings, Steelers/Patriots drew the second largest NFL rating of the season last Sunday. The 18.4 final rating for the Pats’ victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers marks a 46% jump from last year, and falls behind only the 20.1 for Patriots/Colts in November.
- Sunday Night Football on NBC, Ravens/Colts. Prediction: 8.8. Final rating: 8.1. The viewers certainly did not come out in droves for this dud of a Sunday night match-up. The 8.1 rating for the Colts defeat of the Ravens is a 37% drop from a 12.8 rating for Saints/Cowboys last year.
- College basketball on CBS, Michigan/Duke. Prediction: 1.7. Final rating: 1.3. College basketball on CBS did not do very well in the ratings for CBS over the weekend. The 1.3 rating for Michigan/Duke is a 13% decline from the 1.5 rating for UCLA/Texas A&M in the same timeslot last year.
- College basketball on CBS, Kentucky/Indiana. Prediction: 1.8. Final rating: 1.5. The 1.5 rating for Kentucky/Indiana is identical to the rating for the same match-up on the same weekend last year. CBS averaged a 1.4 rating for its college basketball coverage last weekend, down 7% from ’06.
Final national ratings for The Heisman Trophy Presentation and Thanksgiving weekend college football games are currently unavailable.
This week’s predictions:
- Sunday Night Football on NBC, Washington/Giants, 8:15 PM Sunday — It has not been a banner year for SNF; ratings are down 9%, and NBC is on pace to draw the lowest average ever for a prime time NFL package on broadcast television. Three of the last four NFL games on NBC have failed to draw a 10.0 rating; look for a relatively mediocre match-up to barely buck that trend. Prediction: 10.4.
- NFL on FOX, Eagles/Cowboys, 4:15 PM Sunday — A year ago, this would have been a marquee match-up. Still, these two teams are heated rivals, and any time Terrell Owens plays against the Philadelphia Eagles, it is still some sort of event. Do not expect an 18 rating for this one. Prediction: 13.5.
- NFL on CBS, Jets/Patriots (27% of U.S.), 1 PM Sunday — CBS certainly wishes it had the doubleheader this week. The Patriots are a ratings magnet; against arguably their most heated rival, and with the media rehashing the Spygate controversy from earlier this season, look for a huge rating — despite the game only airing in 27% of the country. Prediction: 13.1.
- NFL on NFL Network, Bengals/49ers, 8 PM Saturday — Rarely is an NFL primetime match-up so irrelevant. On the same weekend last year, NFL Network drew its largest rating of the season, 2.6, when the Cowboys took on the Falcons. Look for a big drop for a bad game. Prediction: 1.4.
- College basketball on CBS, Louisville/Purdue, 3:30 PM Saturday — On the comparable date last year, CBS aired two college basketball games, Kentucky/Louisville and Cincinnati/Ohio State, which drew ratings of 1.4 and 1.7, respectively. Expect a similar performance this week. Prediction: 1.5.
