NBC Sports' broadcast of the Liberty-Sparks inaugural
WNBA game on Saturday "topped all Saturday afternoon sports
shows, receiving a 3.8 overnight national rating," according
to an AP report in the WASHINGTON POST. WNBA President Val
Ackerman called the rating "better than we projected"
(WASHINGTON POST, 6/23). Michael Hirsley adds that in
Chicago the game got a 6.1 rating (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/23).
NBC's WNBA halftime report is called the "Lee Jeans Halftime
Report" ("WNBA on NBC," 6/21). For Sunday's rating, see #23.
PROJECTIONS: On Saturday, the N.Y. POST's Michael Starr
wrote on WNBA ratings projections. One "industry insider"
said of the NBC telecasts that "if it does in the 2's NBC
will be happy. It will probably come in a little lower than
that, maybe a 1.8 or 1.9 for the season" (N.Y. POST, 7/21).
MUSHNICK'S SPIN MOVE: In N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes on
the WNBA and its TV package under the header, "WNBA Promos A
Stern Ploy." Mushnick writes the "hype for the WNBA is
reflective of the networks' [NBC and ESPN] commitment to
winning or retaining the NBA's national TV rights. ... If a
network wants to demonstrate its regard for the NBA, it must
promote whatever the NBA is selling. These days, that's the
WNBA." More Mushnick: "NBC has proven that it'll do
anything for the NBA, including lie, in order to retain NBA
rights. ESPN very much wants to wrest the NBA's national
cable rights from TNT/TBS so it has promoted the WNBA as if
it were pure gold ... ignoring the ABL" (N.Y. POST, 6/23).
