The following lists final national Nielsen ratings from recent broadcast and cable sporting events (THE DAILY).
| EVENT | DATE | NET | TIME | RAT/SHR |
| The Preakness | 15-May | ABC | 4:30-6:00pm | 3.4/10 |
| PGA Tour: Byron Nelson Classic | 15-May | CBS | 4:00-6:00pm | 2.1/6 |
| "NBA Showtime" | 15-May | NBC | noon-12:30pm | 2.3/9 |
| NBA Playoffs: (Magic-76ers) | 15-May | NBC | 12:30-3:00pm | 4.3/15 |
| NBA Playoffs: (Spurs-T'Wolves) | 15-May | NBC | 3:00-5:30pm | 5.3/16 |
| NBA Playoffs: (Lakers-Rockets) | 15-May | NBC | 5:30-8:00pm | 6.2/16 |
| CART FedEx Series: Rio 200 | 16-May | ABC | 4:00-6:00pm | 1.3/3 |
| Golf: Around The Globe Special | 16-May | CBS | 2:00-3:00pm | 1.1/3 |
| PGA Tour: Byron Nelson Classic | 16-May | CBS | 3:00-6:15pm | 2.6/7 |
| NHL Playoffs: (regional) | 16-May | Fox | 2:00-5:00pm | 1.9/6 |
| "NBA Showtime" | 16-May | NBC | 2:30-3:00pm | 3.2/10 |
| NBA Playoffs: (Knicks-Heat) | 16-May | NBC | 3:00-5:30pm | 6.5/18 |
| NBA Playoffs: (Kings-Jazz) | 16-May | NBC | 5:30-8:00pm | 8.5/18 |
| CABLE PROGRAM | DATE | NET | US
AREA | COV
AREA | SHR | 000 |
| MLB: Cardinals-Braves | 4-May | TBS | 1.3 | 1.7 | 3 | 1341 |
| NHL Playoffs: (Penguins-Devils) | 4-May | ESPN | 1 | 1.3 | 2 | 994 |
| NBA on TNT: (76ers-Hornets) | 4-May | TNT | 1.2 | 1.6 | 3 | 1178 |
| NHL Playoffs: (Wings-Avalanche) | 7-May | ESPN | 1.2 | 1.5 | 3 | 1144 |
| NBA Playoffs: (Pistons-Hawks) | 8-May | TNT | 1.4 | 1.9 | 4 | 1422 |
| MLB: Braves-Padres | 9-May | TBS | 1.1 | 1.4 | 4 | 1044 |
| NBA Playoffs: (Bucks-Pacers) | 9-May | TNT | 1.9 | 2.5 | 4 | 1869 |
AROUND THE RINK: Fox is averaging a 1.6/5 for its coverage of the Stanley Cup playoffs, down 6% from '98's 1.7/5 (Fox)....ESPN's average rating through 18 NHL playoff games is a .87, up 14% from last year's .76. ESPN2's cumulative average through 28 playoff games is a .55, up 12% from last year's .49 (ESPN)....CBC's coverage of last Monday's Game Six of the Maple Leafs-Penguins series drew a "playoff high" 2.403 million viewers (TORONTO STAR, 5/21). HOOP LOOP: NBC is averaging a 5.4/15 for its coverage of the NBA playoffs, down 8% from last year's 5.9/16 (NBC). ...In Toronto, William Houston writes that CTV's coverage of the NBA playoffs is drawing "shockingly low numbers, with audiences as small as 110,000 to 120,000" (GLOBE & MAIL, 5/21)....In Miami, Barry Jackson writes that the Sunshine Network averaged a 3.0 for its Heat coverage this past season, up "slightly" over last year's 2.9. Meanwhile, Heat games on WAMI-TV averaged a 4.7, down "slightly" from last year's 4.8 for WBFS-UPN (MIAMI HERALD, 5/21). FOR THE PONIES: ABC's coverage of the Preakness Stakes was down 6% from last year's 3.6/11 (ABC).
