ABC's Heat-Lakers led all overnight Nielsen ratings for sports telecasts over the weekend with a 5.2 rating yesterday. That figure is up from a 3.9 for the comparable Lakers-Spurs last year. ABC’s early window on Sunday featured Knicks-Celtics, which earned a 4.3 overnight, up from a 3.6 rating for Bulls-Heat. Fox earned a 5.0 overnight for Sunday’s Subway Fresh Fit 500 from Phoenix Int’l Raceway, which was the second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of the season. The 5.0 overnight is down from a 5.3 rating for the same race last year. However, when final numbers are released later this week, the Sprint Cup race will likely end up rating higher than Heat-Lakers. ESPN’s North Carolina-Duke men’s basketball matchup on Saturday night led all college basketball telecasts from the weekend with a 3.1 overnight. CBS aired the primetime matchup last year, earning a 3.2 overnight. ESPN last aired the teams’ second regular-season matchup in ’10, and earned a 1.7 overnight. Listed below are overnight Nielsen ratings from weekend sports telecasts on broadcast TV.
| TELECAST | DATE | NET | TIME (ET) | RAT. |
| "The Big Time: Episode 7" | 3/3 | ABC | 3:00-4:00pm | 0.4 |
| "ESPN Sports Saturday" | 3/3 | ABC | 4:00-6:00pm | 0.6 |
| NCAA Basketball: Memphis-Tulsa | 3/3 | CBS | 12:00-2:00pm | 0.6 |
| NCAA Basketball: (regional) | 3/3 | CBS | 2:00-4:00pm | 0.9 |
| NCAA Basketball: Louisville-Syracuse | 3/3 | CBS | 4:00-6:00pm | 1.4 |
| Gymnastics: AT&T American Cup | 3/3 | NBC | 1:00-3:00pm | 1.1 |
| PGA Tour: Honda Classic: Third Round | 3/3 | NBC | 3:00-6:00pm | 1.9 |
| "NBA Countdown" | 3/4 | ABC | 12:30-1:00pm | 1.3 |
| NBA: Knicks-Celtics | 3/4 | ABC | 1:00-3:30pm | 4.3 |
| NBA: Heat-Lakers | 3/4 | ABC | 3:30-6:00pm | 5.2 |
| NCAA Basketball: Kentucky-Florida | 3/4 | CBS | 12:00-2:00pm | 1.6 |
NCAA Basketball: MVC Championship:
Creighton-Illinois State | 3/4 | CBS | 2:00-4:00pm | 1.0 |
| NCAA Basketball: Ohio State-Michigan State | 3/4 | CBS | 4:00-6:00pm | 2.0 |
| NASCAR Sprint Cup: Subway Fresh Fit 500 | 3/4 | Fox | 3:15-6:15pm | 5.0 |
| NHL: Bruins-Rangers | 3/4 | NBC | 12:30-3:00pm | 1.0 |
| PGA Tour: Honda Classic: Final Round | 3/4 | NBC | 3:00-5:45pm | 3.2 |
