TV Sports Ratings

Bounceback week for ESPN as they visited the home of Banks Boulevard.  White Sox/Cubs had the highest Male 18-49 rating in 5 weeks, the highest Male 18-34 rating in 10 weeks (since Yanks/Red Sox) and largest average audience in 5 weeks.

The game also had a median age under 50 years for just the 2nd time in 8 weeks (bad news for ED clients?).  This was the 1st time in 6 weeks that the ESPN Sunday game was outperformed the game on the same night last year.

Season to date, the only games Joe Morgan sees are still pacing well behind 2007 levels.

Interleague play (mainly Red Sox/Reds) didn’t do much for FOX as the 6/14 window equaled a season-low rating among Men 18-49.

Compared to interleague play on the same Saturday last year (mostly Giants/Red Sox), FOX showed sharp declines.

Season-to-date, FOX is down nearly 30% in key male demos.

Despite being the series-clincher, Game 6 ratings were clearly hurt by the lopsided score - ending up as just the 2nd highest rated of the series.

Airing from 9:05p-12:01a on ABC, Lakers/Celtics averaged 8.6 ratings in both Men 18-49 and M18-34 with an average audience of 16.9 million viewers. 

These levels are up slightly from the last deciding Game 6 (2006; Miami vs. Dallas).

The full series averaged a 7.8 rating among Men 18-49, a 7.9 in Men 18-34 and an average audience of 14.9 million viewers.

Compared to the 2007 Finals (Cleveland/San Antonio; 4 games), Lakers/Celtics was up 59% in Men 18-49, 61% in Men 18-34 and 61% in average audience.

This stands as the highest rated Finals since 2004 (Detroit/LA Lakers).

With parts of the game airing vs. the U.S. Open and Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Braves/Angels on ESPN had the lowest non-holiday weekend levels of the season:

With Mets/Yankees airing on the same night last year, ESPN has fallen even farther behind 2007 levels.  Season-to-date, the only games Joe Morgan sees are down 19% in Men 18-49, 22% in Men 18-34 and 15% in average audience.  Male skew and median age are up slightly.

On Father’s Day from 3-9:04p, US Open coverage on NBC had a 4.6 rating among Men 18-49 and a 3.3 among Men 18-34, with an average audience of 12.0 million viewers (nearly doubling Saturday’s delivery on NBC).

The telecast had a male skew of 63% male with a median age of 55.

Compared with last year’s Sunday coverage, the US Open was up 31% in M18-49 and +26% in average audience.

Game 5 of Celtics/Lakers (ABC; Sunday 6/15/08) hit series-high levels with 9.2 ratings in both Men 18-49 and M18-34 and an average audience of 17.4 million viewers.

This was the highest rated Finals Game 5 since 2004:

Through 5 games, the 2008 Finals are averaging 7.7 ratings in Men 18-49 and Men 18-34 (up 57% vs. the 2007 Finals full 4 game average) and 14.6 million viewers (up 57%).

Celtics/Lakers is sure to be the highest rated Finals since Lakers/Pistons in 2004, but is unlikely to meet or surpass those lofty numbers.

Hampered by a lopsided first half, Game 4 of Celtics/Lakers dropped from Game 3 (about 10% in demos).  However, this was still the highest rated Game 4 since 2004.

The lack of growth from Game 3 to Game 4 likely erases the remote chance that the full series average could match or exceed 2004.  However, the 2008 Finals are pacing to be the highest rated since that 5 game set.

FOX bounced back this week with its best numbers in over a month.  Regional telecasts (mostly Cubs/Dodgers) averaged a 1.2 in Men 18-49, a 1.1 in Men 18-34 and an average audience of 2.6 million viewers.

Season to date, FOX is down 20% or more in key breaks.

Interleague action on 6/14 should produce above average numbers.

Cubs/Dodgers this week, featuring some classic nonsense even by Joe Morgan standards and airing vs. the NBA Finals, hit season-low demo levels for a non-holiday weekend game.

The telecast averaged a 1.02 in Men 18-49, a .90 in M18-34 with an average audience of 2.2 million viewers.

Sunday Night Baseball has been down compared to the same week last year in key male demos for 6 of 10 games, including 4 straight.

Season to date, the only games Joe Morgan sees are down double digit percentages across the board.

Tuesday night’s Game 3 picked up a full point in Men 18-34 and 1 million viewers from Game 2.  Airing on ABC from 9:04-11:59p, Celtics/Lakers averaged a 7.8 in Men 18-49, an 8.1 in Men 18-34 and an average audience of 14.5 million viewers.

This is the highest rated Game 3 since 2004:

Through 3 games, the 2008 Finals are averaging a 7.3 rating in Men 18-49, a 7.3 in Men 18-34 and an average audience of 13.8 million viewers.

Compared to the 2007 Finals (Cleveland/San Antonio) through 3 games, ABC is up 52% in both Men 18-49 and Men 18-34, while up 52% in average audience.