ESPN earned a 7.0 overnight Nielsen rating for last night’s Rams-Seahawks “MNF” telecast from 8:30-11:45pm ET, down 19.5% from an 8.7 overnight for Ravens-Texans in Week 14 last year. Last year’s game also had competition from Giants-Vikings, which took place on a Monday due to the Metrodome roof collapse. However, that game aired only in N.Y. and Minneapolis-St. Paul on Fox. In St. Louis, last night’s game earned a 7.0 local rating on ESPN and a 10.7 rating on KTVI-Fox. In Seattle-Tacoma, the game earned a 16.5 local rating on ESPN and a 9.9 rating on KZJO-Ind (Austin Karp, THE DAILY).
HOLIDAY TRAVEL: YAHOO SPORTS’ Kelly Dwyer reported ABC/ESPN NBA announcers Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy will “call two games for the network on Christmas Day.” They will “begin their afternoon in Dallas, calling a Finals rematch” between the Mavericks and the Heat, which tips off at 2:30pm ET. They then will travel “to Oakland for the 10:30 p.m. ET contest featuring” the Warriors and Clippers. Dwyer wrote “if the company is lacking for a fifth set of voices, well, there's an absolute embarrassment of riches of local announcers to tap into, with too many great ones to name.” These people “are professionals, and they have two weeks to acclimate to the Disney way.” Dwyer: “There is enough time to set up a sound fifth option, and certainly enough to prevent Breen and Van Gundy from having to dash across two time zones for a story you'll forget by the morning of the 26th” (
SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 12/12).
NO PUCK MOVEMENT: In Columbus, Shawn Mitchell reported the Blue Jackets have agreed to a “multi-year extension with television partner Fox Sports Ohio.” Terms were not disclosed, but Blue Jackets Exec VP/Business Operations Larry Hoepfner said the deal will keep the team on FS Ohio “well towards the end of the decade.” The current TV deal “expires at the conclusion of this season” (DISPATCH.com, 12/11).
NATIONAL RECOGNITION: USA TODAY’s Bob Kimball notes the Angels signing 1B Albert Pujols “could mean more national appearances” for the team. Fox “originally had the Angels set for five appearances Saturdays,” but it could now “go for the maximum nine.” Kimball: “Watch for ESPN to maybe show the Angels on ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ the allowable five times, up from two last season” (USA TODAY, 12/13).
MAKING MUSIC TOGETHER: Music from several Columbia Records artists will be featured on ESPN's men's basketball coverage throughout the season across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3, the first time ESPN and Columbia Records have had an agreement for a package of songs. Artists that will be featured include Foster the People, John Legend, Pearl Jam and Tony Bennett (ESPN).
