ABC's broadcast of last night's "MNF" regular-season
opener between the Dolphins and Broncos earned a 16.1/26
preliminary overnight Nielsen rating, up 10% from last
year's 14.6/23.
THE POWER IS BACK: DAILY VARIETY's Bierbaum & Adalian
report that the new NFL season "got off to a strong Nielsen
start Sunday," as overnight ratings "were solid enough ...
to suggest a big season may be in the offing for football."
Fox averaged a 13.1/28 rating for its doubleheader coverage,
up 12% over last year's single-game opener, which earned an
11.7/28. CBS' early telecast averaged a 12.0/29, up 46%
over last year's comparable early-Sunday coverage. Second-
weekend ratings for NCAA football "also suggest strong
interest in pigskin coverage this fall" (DAILY VARIETY,
9/14). USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke notes that NFL action was
up 21% in big-market overnights. CBS and Fox averaged a
combined rating of a 12.9, compared to last year's opening
Labor Day weekend average of a 10.7 (USA TODAY, 9/14).
THE L.A. STORY: In L.A., Larry Stewart reports that
nationally, "more people" watched the NFL than the Emmys'
broadcast on Fox. Fox's 16.6 overnight rating for its
national game outdistanced its 14.7 rating for the Emmys.
However the Emmys earned an 18.7 local rating in L.A., while
the NFL scored "only" a 9.9 (L.A. TIMES, 9/14).
FOX NO LONGER GREEN WITH ENVY? NEWSDAY's Steve Zipay
writes that the Jets' loss of QB Vinny Testaverde "has
ramifications beyond the hopes of fans. ... A lost season
likely will put a damper on ratings at CBS Sports." Last
year's success of the Jets "translated to higher ratings
overall for CBS." Zipay writes that now, the Jaguars,
located in the No. 52 market, could "dominate" the AFC.
Meanwhile, HBO is "re-editing" its "Real Sports" profile of
Jets coach Bill Parcells, which is set to air Thursday.
CBS' "60 Minutes" profile of Parcells, due to air in
October, "also might lose some of its edge" (NEWSDAY, 9/14).
LOCAL RATINGS NOTES: In Boston, Howard Manly reports
that the Patriots-Jets game earned a 20.0/44 local rating,
peaking around 3:30pm ET with a 22.9/56. Manly adds that
Sunday's Red Sox-Yankees game pulled a 6.7/16 (BOSTON GLOBE,
9/14)....The Cowboys-Redskins earned a 34.5 rating in the
Dallas-Fort Worth area and a 33.3 rating in DC (DALLAS
MORNING NEWS, 9/14)....More than 40% of Northeast OH homes
"were tuned to" Sunday's Steelers-Browns game. About 33%
viewed the game on WEWS-ABC, which broadcast ESPN's
coverage, while another 8.6% were "tuned to ESPN itself"
(AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 9/14)....The Bills-Colts earned a
21.0/48 local rating in Indianapolis (STAR-NEWS, 9/14).
THE EARLY LINE ON THE PREGAME: "Fox NFL Sunday" earned
a 4.6/12 overnight Nielsen rating, up 24% over last year's
opening 3.7/11. CBS' "The NFL Today" earned a 3.2/9 (Fox).
ANOTHER STAR NAMED MARV? In Chicago, Ed Sherman writes
that FSN's Marv Levy is the "best newcomer" to the networks'
pregame fare. Sherman: "At 74, the kid just might have a
future in television" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 9/14). In N.Y.,
Richard Sandomir writes that after on-air personnel changes,
"The NFL Today" is "alive and well" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/14).
TD: In Denver, Adam Schefter writes that Broncos RB
Terrell Davis will "become the first player to conduct
weekly live audio-format online chats with fans" during
halftime of ABC's "MNF." Davis will participate in the
chats for 14 of the next 16 "MNF" games (DENVER POST, 9/14).
