While CBS and USA Network "report they have sold out
their ad inventory" for the U.S. Open, MEDIAWEEK's Jim
Cooper writes that ratings returns for the networks "are a
bit of a question mark." USA VP/Production & Sports Gordon
Beck: "This looks like a building year." USA's '97 Open
coverage got a 1.4 primetime rating, up 11% from '96. USA's
total rating was 1.0, up 16%. CBS's ratings fell 4% last
year to a 2.4 overall. CBS VP/Sports Sales Scott McGraw:
"It hasn't been a terrific story in terms of households, but
the quality of the audience is what people are buying here."
Chanel and BMW did not renew their pacts with CBS this year.
Kristian Magel, VP/National Broadcast for DeWitt Media,
which buys for BMW, said lower ratings "were a factor, but
the major factor is timing," as September "is just a little
too early for a (new car) launch." CBS's McGraw said that
the Open's ratings "should get a boost" this year with the
return of the NFL to CBS, as the net has been promoting the
Open on NFL preseason games (Jim Cooper, MEDIAWEEK, 8/24).
IN THE NET: The Open's official Web site, www.usopen.
org, which is produced by IBM and the USTA, launched last
week. This is the fourth consecutive year the two have co-
produced the site, which received 60 million hits last year.
The relaunched site includes chat sessions, a player
postcard section, an enhanced Java scoreboard, daily USTA
polls and a user-controlled "OpenCam" Web camera (USTA).
