Fox Sports "has cut a deal to televise" The Tiger Woods
Invitational, a Skins-format primetime event featuring
Woods, according to Langdon Brockinton of MEDIAWEEK. Fox
Sports Net (FSN), which will produce the event, will air the
three-hour telecast on November 9 or 10. The tournament,
played near Tokyo, will be staged by Nike Sports Ent. FSN
Exec VP Arthur Smith: "It's a hot property because of Tiger
-- that's one reason we're airing it in prime time."
Brockinton adds that with Nike on board, FSN "hopes to sell"
the rest of the inventory "to four to six advertisers." FSN
is "projecting" a 2.5 rating (MEDIAWEEK, 10/20).
GLUTTONY: Brockinton also reports that "a glut of games
has contributed to a sharp dropoff" in college football TV
ratings so far this season. Some networks "have suffered
sharp ratings declines this season among men 50-plus,"
including ABC whose numbers "are off" 27% for that demo.
But men 50-plus "are watching less TV in general on Saturday
afternoons, with total viewership in the demo" down 11%.
ABC's "more-coveted men 18-49 demo is flat" at 3.0, compared
to ESPN, whose men 18-34, men 18-49 and men 25-54 demos "are
up 17, 8 and 8 percent, respectively" (MEDIAWEEK, 10/20).
