The following lists ratings for select sporting events
from last weekend. All times are EDT. The numbers are from
the networks (THE DAILY).
EVENT DATE NET TIME RAT/SHR
Indianapolis 500 Time Trials 5/16 ABC 1:00-2:00pm 1.4/5
PGA Tour: Byron Nelson Classic 5/16 ABC 2:00-4:30pm 2.3/8
Horse Racing: Preakness Stakes 5/16 ABC 4:30-6:00pm 3.6/11
CBS Sports Spect: Gymnastics 5/16 CBS 1:00-3:00pm 1.8/7
CBS Sports Spectacular: PBA Tour 5/16 CBS 3:00-4:00pm 1.6/6
LPGA Championship 5/16 CBS 4:00-6:00pm 1.2/4
"NBA on NBC": Lakers-Jazz 5/16 NBC 3:30-6:00pm 5.3/17
Indianapolis 500 Time Trials 5/17 ABC 1:30-3:00pm 1.5/5
PGA Tour: Byron Nelson Classic 5/17 ABC 3:00-6:00pm 2.8/8
CBS Sports Spect: Gymnastics 5/17 CBS 3:00-4:00pm 2.5/8
LPGA Championship 5/17 CBS 4:00-6:00pm 1.3/3
"NHL on Fox": Blues-Red Wings 5/17 FOX 2:00-5:00pm 1.5/5
"NBA on NBC": Pacers-Bulls 5/17 NBC 3:30-6:00pm 8.9/24
NHL RATINGS NOTES: Fox's 1.7/5 average rating through
four weeks of its NHL playoff coverage is down 15% from last
year's average for the same period of 2.0/5 (THE DAILY). In
N.Y., George Vecsey notes the decline of NHL ratings under
the header "Whatever Happened To Hockey?" (N.Y. TIMES,
5/22). The Caps-Senators series, which featured four games
on HTS, had a 2.0 rating, "pushing the team's playoff
ratings to a cumulative 1.73." For comparison, the Orioles
are averaging a 2.2 for the season (WASHINGTON POST, 5/22).
....The final Caps-Senators game last Friday night on CBC
drew "a disappointing" 928,000 viewers in primetime. On
Saturday night, the Oilers-Stars drew 1.14 million, also a
"below-average playoff number" (GLOBE & MAIL, 5/22). In
S.F., Susan Slusser examines NHL ratings, writing,
"Nationally, hockey is an ice-cold television proposition.
Locally, hockey is a hit" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 5/22).
NBA RATINGS NOTES: Through 16 telecasts, NBC's NBA
playoff coverage is averaging a 6.1/18, down 3% from last
year's 6.3/18 (THE DAILY)....Tuesday's Pacers-Bulls game
gave Fox Sports Chicago its season-high rating with a 20.7.
The rating also topped the time period encompassing pregame,
game and postgame shows -- a period that included the season
finale of ABC's "NYPD Blue" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 5/22).
