TNT's coverage of Cowboys-Cardinals Sunday night game
"was the highest-rated basic cable program of any kind this
year," according to Scott Hettrick of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
The 9.8/16 rating represented more than 7 million households
and topped TNT's coverage of the May 20 Bulls-Heat playoff
game, which had been the year's highest-rated basic cable
program, earning a 7.6 (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 9/10). TNT said
the game received a 24.7 share "at peak viewing," and that
during the overtime, it earned a 12.3 rating, 15% higher than
the overall game average. The game tied for fifth in all-
time ratings on TNT (AR REPUBLIC, 9/10).
FOX DEFIES EARLY TREND: ABC's 14.7 overnight rating for
"Monday Night Football" was down 8% from last year's NFL week
two game, according to Rudy Martzke of USA TODAY. That
follows an "all-time low" for the Packers-Bears opener, which
earned a 15.0 national rating. Martzke adds that NBC's first
two weeks of overnights are down by 18%, while Fox's are up
by 19% (USA TODAY, 9/10). In Memphis, WMC-NBC averaged a
10.4/21 for Sunday's Oilers-Dolphins game. The rating jumped
to 13.8/26 "around the time the game went into overtime."
Also in Memphis, WHBQ-Fox's coverage of the Rams-49ers earned
a 6.2/13. In Nashville, WSMV-NBC averaged a 12.8/31 for the
Oilers-Dolphins, with Fox earning a local 1.6/4 for the
Panthers-Falcons (Thomas Harding, COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 9/10).
NOTES: Despite the local blackout of the Cards' comeback
victory over the Cowboys, the game will not be reshown on
taped replay, according to Lee Shappell of the ARIZONA
REPUBLIC. NFL Senior VP/Broadcasting Val Pinchbeck said that
the league does not "permit taped replays." Pinchbeck:
"There were close to 5,000 tickets after the 72-hour blackout
limit that were sold to people who bought them knowing that
the game would be blacked out. They would be disenfranchised
if the game were telecast" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 9/9).....In
N.Y., Steve Zipay wrote that NFL halftime shows should show
"more highlights from games in progress," an issue which
"should be addressed" in the next TV deal. NFL's Pinchbeck:
"When you sell someone the live rights, that network is the
only one who can use the footage until those games are over.
It's been that way ad infinitum." Zipay: "[I]t's time to
greet the 21st Century. ... A full run of clips would promote
the entire league (NEWSDAY, 9/9).
