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SBD/March 26, 2012/Research and Ratings
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Overnight Ratings: IndyCar Opener Down; ESPN's Heat-Thunder Top Game To Date
Weekend overnights for sports telecasts were led by coverage of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and the final round of the PGA Tour Arnold Palmer Invitational. Fox’ NASCAR Sprint Cup coverage had to air up against both events, with the Auto Club 500 earning a 3.4 overnight from 3:15-5:00pm ET. Combined with a race having to end early due to rain, that figure is down from a 4.1 rating for the race last year. The Izod IndyCar Series also began its ’12 season with the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on ABC yesterday afternoon. That figure is down from a 1.3 overnight for the same race last year. ESPN also aired Heat-Thunder last night, with the 2.4 overnight marking the net’s best NBA overnight this season to date.
Listed below are overnight Nielsen ratings from weekend sports telecasts on broadcast TV.
TELECAST DATENETTIME (ET)RAT."ESPN Sports Saturday" 3/24ABC4:00-6:00pm0.5NCAA D-II Basketball Championship:
Western Washington-Montevallo3/24CBS1:00-3:15pm0.9"Road to the Final Four" 3/24CBS3:15-4:15pm1.5NCAA Basketball Tournament: Regional Final:
Louisville-Florida3/24CBS4:15-6:45pm4.7NCAA Basketball Tournament: Regional Final:
Ohio State-Syracuse3/24CBS7:00-9:30pm6.9Red Bull Signature Series: Cold Rush (taped) 3/24NBC1:00-2:00pm0.6"Golf Central Live" 3/24NBC2:00-2:30pm0.6PGA Tour: Arnold Palmer Invitational: Third Round 3/24NBC2:30-6:00pm2.9Izod IndyCar Series: Honda Grand Prix of St. Pete 3/25ABC12:30-3:15pm1.1"Best of College Basketball 2012" (taped) 3/25CBS1:00-2:00pm1.3NCAA Basketball Tournament: Regional Final:
Kentucky-Baylor3/25CBS2:15-4:45pm5.3NCAA Basketball Tournament: Regional Final:
Kansas-North Carolina3/25CBS5:00-7:15pm7.8NASCAR Sprint Cup: Auto Club 500* 3/25Fox3:15-5:00pm3.4"Golf Digest Equipment Special" (taped) 3/25NBC1:00-2:00pm0.5"Golf Central Live" 3/25NBC2:00-2:30pm0.8PGA Tour: Arnold Palmer Invitational: Final Round 3/25NBC2:30-6:30pm4.8NOTE: * = Race shortened by rain. Rain coverage from 5:00-5:30pm got a 2.9 overnight.
