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SBD/March 26, 2012/Research and Ratings
Overnight Ratings: IndyCar Opener Down; ESPN's Heat-Thunder Top Game To Date
Published March 26, 2012
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 |
DATE
|
NET
|
TIME (ET)
|
RAT.
|
| "ESPN Sports Saturday" |
3/24
|
ABC
|
4:00-6:00pm
|
0.5
|
| NCAA D-II Basketball Championship: Western Washington-Montevallo |
3/24
|
CBS
|
1:00-3:15pm
|
0.9
|
| "Road to the Final Four" |
3/24
|
CBS
|
3:15-4:15pm
|
1.5
|
| NCAA Basketball Tournament: Regional Final: Louisville-Florida |
3/24
|
CBS
|
4:15-6:45pm
|
4.7
|
| NCAA Basketball Tournament: Regional Final: Ohio State-Syracuse |
3/24
|
CBS
|
7:00-9:30pm
|
6.9
|
| Red Bull Signature Series: Cold Rush (taped) |
3/24
|
NBC
|
1:00-2:00pm
|
0.6
|
| "Golf Central Live" |
3/24
|
NBC
|
2:00-2:30pm
|
0.6
|
| PGA Tour: Arnold Palmer Invitational: Third Round |
3/24
|
NBC
|
2:30-6:00pm
|
2.9
|
| Izod IndyCar Series: Honda Grand Prix of St. Pete |
3/25
|
ABC
|
12:30-3:15pm
|
1.1
|
| "Best of College Basketball 2012" (taped) |
3/25
|
CBS
|
1:00-2:00pm
|
1.3
|
| NCAA Basketball Tournament: Regional Final: Kentucky-Baylor |
3/25
|
CBS
|
2:15-4:45pm
|
5.3
|
| NCAA Basketball Tournament: Regional Final: Kansas-North Carolina |
3/25
|
CBS
|
5:00-7:15pm
|
7.8
|
| NASCAR Sprint Cup: Auto Club 500* |
3/25
|
Fox
|
3:15-5:00pm
|
3.4
|
| "Golf Digest Equipment Special" (taped) |
3/25
|
NBC
|
1:00-2:00pm
|
0.5
|
| "Golf Central Live" |
3/25
|
NBC
|
2:00-2:30pm
|
0.8
|
| PGA Tour: Arnold Palmer Invitational: Final Round |
3/25
|
NBC
|
2:30-6:30pm
|
4.8
|
NOTE: * = Race shortened by rain. Rain coverage from 5:00-5:30pm got a 2.9 overnight.
