The NFL, NBC Sports and IBM will jointly produce the
     official Super Bowl XXXII Web Site at www.superbowl.com. 
     The site will launch December 20 and culminate with a live
     cybercast of the game on January 25.  Superbowl.com will
     include: a virtual tour of cities hosting playoff games;
     audio and video coverage of all Super Bowl events; Jay Leno
     characters; a Super Bowl sweepstakes; a Super Bowl store;
     chats with NFL players and coaches; party guide/recipes;
     polls; trivia contests; and animated playbooks (NBC).  The
     project will include an on-air and online cross-promotional
     campaign by NBC and the NFL (AD AGE DAILY, 12/19).

          In his year-in-review column, NEWSDAY's Steve Zipay
     calls NBC and Turner's NBA TV contract the "Riskiest Deal"
     of the year, citing the NBA's "uncertain future with the
     retirement of one-man ratings machine Michael Jordan and a
     potential lockout or strike over a new [CBA]" (NEWSDAY,
     12/19)....NBC renewed the French Open for two years, plus an
     option (Rudy Martzke, USA TODAY, 12/19).

          The following lists ratings from last weekend's network
     events.  All times are EST.  CBS' basketball coverage
     included: CLEM-ILL and CSU-AZ.  CBS' "Olympic Winterfest"
     was the Ladies Professional Figure Skating Championships. 
     The numbers are gathered from the networks (THE DAILY).


  
 
    
 EVENT
    
 
      
DATE
    
    
 
      
NET
    
    
 
      
TIME
    
    
 
      
RAT/SHR
    
  
  
 
    
PGA Tour: 
      Diners Club Matches
    
 
      
12/13
    
    
 
      
ABC
    
    
 
      
4:00-6:00pm
    
    
 
      
1.7/4
    
  
  
 
    
World 
      Team Skating Championships
    
 
      
12/13
    
    
 
      
CBS
    
    
 
      
1:00-2:00pm
    
    
 
      
1.8/6
    
  
  
 
    
NCAA Basketball: 
      regional
    
 
      
12/13
    
    
 
      
CBS
    
    
 
      
2:00-4:00pm
    
    
 
      
1.5/4
    
  
  
 
    
NCAA Basketball: 
      Duke-Michigan
    
 
      
12/13
    
    
 
      
CBS
    
    
 
      
4:00-6:00pm
    
    
 
      
2.2/6
    
  
  
 
    
"Fox NFL 
      Special"
    
 
      
12/13
    
    
 
      
FOX
    
    
 
      
noon-12:30pm
    
    
 
      
3.3/10
    
  
  
 
    
"NFL on 
      Fox": Redskins-Giants
    
 
      
12/13
    
    
 
      
FOX
    
    
 
      
12:30-4:00pm
    
    
 
      
8.4/25
    
  
  
 
    
NFL on 
      NBC pregame
    
 
      
12/13
    
    
 
      
NBC
    
    
 
      
3:30-4:00pm
    
    
 
      
4.7/13
    
  
  
 
    
"NFL on 
      NBC": Steelers-Patriots
    
 
      
12/13
    
    
 
      
NBC
    
    
 
      
4:00-7:00pm
    
    
 
      
12.0/29
    
  
  
 
    
PGA Tour: 
      Diners Club Matches
    
 
      
12/14
    
    
 
      
ABC
    
    
 
      
3:00-6:00pm
    
    
 
      
1.6/4
    
  
  
 
    
Jeep Eagle 
      Downhill Skiing
    
 
      
12/14
    
    
 
      
CBS
    
    
 
      
3:00-4:00pm
    
    
 
      
1.3/3
    
  
  
 
    
"Olympic 
      Winterfest"
    
 
      
12/14
    
    
 
      
CBS
    
    
 
      
4:00-6:00pm
    
    
 
      
3.7/8
    
  
  
 
    
"Fox NFL 
      Sunday"
    
 
      
12/14
    
    
 
      
FOX
    
    
 
      
12:00-1:00pm
    
    
 
      
4.5/13
    
  
  
 
    
"NFL on 
      Fox" Game One
    
 
      
12/14
    
    
 
      
FOX
    
    
 
      
1:00-4:00pm
    
    
 
      
11.0/28
    
  
  
 
    
"NFL on 
      Fox" Game Two
    
 
      
12/14
    
    
 
      
FOX
    
    
 
      
4:00-7:00pm
    
    
 
      
11.7/24
    
  
  
 
    
"NFL on 
      NBC" pregame
    
 
      
12/14
    
    
 
      
NBC
    
    
 
      
12:00-1:00pm
    
    
 
      
3.7/10
    
  
  
 
    
"NFL on 
      NBC" (regional)
    
 
      
12/14
    
    
 
      
NBC
    
    
 
      
1:00-7:00pm
    
    
 
      
9.0/19
    
  

        
        Print | Tags: ABC, CBS, DaimlerChrysler, NBC, NCAA, New England Patriots, News Corp./Fox, NFL, PGA Tour, Pittsburgh Steelers, Media, Viacom, Walt Disney, Washington Redskins
    

          The following is a list of the top ten most watched
     cable channels of the year.  Figures are based on average
     primetime audiences (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/19).

          

  
 
    
CHANNEL
    
 
      
AVG. 
        AUD
    
    

    
 
      
CHANNEL
    
    
 
      
AVG. 
        AUD
    
  
  
 
    
1) 
      TNT
    
 
      
1,606,000
    
    
6) Lifetime
    
 
      
1,041,000
    
  
  
 
    
2) 
      USA Network
    
 
      
1,425,000
    
    
7) A&E
    
 
      
923,000
    
  
  
 
    
3) 
      Nickelodeon
    
 
      
1,331,000
    
    
8) Discovery
    
 
      
839,000
    
  
  
 
    
4) 
      TBS
    
 
      
1,304,000
    
    
9) Family 
      Ch.
    
 
      
741,000
    
  
  
 
    
5) 
      ESPN
    
 
      
1,089,000
    
    
10) CNN
    
 
      
632,000
    
  

        
        Print | Tags: ESPN, Media, TBS/TNT, Time Warner, USA Networks, Walt Disney
    

          NC-based Total Sports "might be about to break into the
     big leagues," as the online sports information service has
     "attracted" $4M in private investment, signed up "several
     big-name clients," and is "making plans" to go public,
     according to Chris O'Brien of the Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER. 
     Total Sports Founder Frank Daniels projects that revenues
     will grow from $1.5M in '97 to $10M next year.  Total
     Sports, with 57 employees, has outgrown its parent, Koz,
     which has only 20.  Daniels also wants to take the company
     public in '99 (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 12/19).