NASCAR Senior VP Brian France responded to a column by
the ORLANDO SENTINEL's Ed Hinton which implied that "public
enthusiasm" for NASCAR is "tapering off" (see THE DAILY,
7/20). France says that he is "looking on the bright side
of the 2000 hiccup in TV ratings." France: "We're down 4.3
percent, year to date -- and that includes rain issues -- on
TV ratings. We are in love with that number because with
the lack of promotion (on lame-duck networks ABC, CBS, ESPN
and TNN, to be replaced in 2001 by Fox, NBC and Turner), we
figured we'd be down 10 or 12 percent. You see where the
NBA was down 20 percent. Hockey's a disaster. We are in a
very difficult and competitive time. We accept that. But
we're fine" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 7/27).
CART PIGGY-BACKS ON TIGER: In Indianapolis, Robin
Miller writes that Tiger Woods' British Open win, which
served as a lead-in for ABC's coverage of the CART Michigan
500, "drove up" the series' "lifeless" TV ratings, as the MI
race earned a 2.5/6 overnight Nielsen rating. Miller writes
that when national ratings are released today, the event is
"almost guaranteed to be open-wheel racing's top non-Indy
500 show in three years. Thanks go to Tiger's great lead-in
and CART's best race of the season" (INDY STAR, 7/27).
NO RATING KO FOR HBO: In N.Y., Tim Smith reported that
last Saturday's Felix Trinidad-Mamadou Thiam fight on HBO
averaged a "disappointing" 7.0 cable rating, making it the
lowest rating for a "World Championship Boxing" bout on HBO
since the Ike Quartey-Tiger Jones fight in '97. HBO Sports
VP/Media Relations Ray Stallone: "This isn't surprising.
You're talking about a fight in the month of July where
levels are at their lowest" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/27).
