Final Nielsen Ratings From Recent Sports Telecasts

NOTE: * = Frost in the Phoenix region caused delays for the event, moving the finish of the final round to Golf Channel on Monday.

CORPORATE SYNERGY? Versus averaged 437,000 viewers for its first three NHL game telecasts following the All-Star break, up 85% from the three-game average last year. The net's Rangers-Red Wings telecast on Feb. 7, the first game produced by Sam Flood, averaged 534,000 viewers, marking the net's third best NHL audience this season. Heading into All-Star weekend, Versus was averaging 302,000 viewers for its NHL game telecasts. Versus is also seeing growth among male demos since the All-Star break, with men 18-49 up 55% and men 25-54 up 59% (Versus)....Golf Channel's live and repeat coverage of the first round of the PGA Tour Waste Management Phoenix Open on Feb. 3 combined to mark the net's most-watched early-round coverage of the tournament ever (Golf Channel).

AND THEY CALL IT PUPPY LOVE: Animal Planet averaged 1.734 million viewers for the premiere of "Puppy Bowl VII" last Sunday from 3:00-5:00pm ET, up 60% from the premiere last year, which averaged 1.085 million viewers. Across the 12 hours of "Puppy Bowl VII" coverage last Sunday, the net totaled 9.2 million unique viewers, marking the most-viewed Puppy Bowl coverage yet (THE DAILY).