CBS drew a 4.0 overnight rating for Serena Williams’ third straight win at the U.S. Open, a figure that is a mixed bag compared to the women’s final from the past few years. Williams’ win over Carolina Wozniacki yesterday was down 18% from a 4.9 overnight for her win over Victoria Azaranka last year. The same Williams-Azarenka matchup drew a 3.9 overnight in ’12. CBS also drew a 4.2 overnight for Williams’ loss to Sam Stosur in the ’11 final. The past four years have seen the women’s final played on a Sunday afternoon following CBS’ NFL singleheader window. Meanwhile, CBS drew a 1.9 overnight for the two upsets in the men’s U.S. Open semifinals on Saturday afternoon, up 12% from a 1.7 overnight last year (same window) (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
OUT WITH A WHIMPER? In N.Y., Filip Bondy wrote CBS tonight "will wave goodbye to its U.S. Open contractual obligations with what may well turn out to be the lowest-rated final in history: Kei Nishikori versus Marin Cilic, a matchup that nobody expected and few desired outside Japan or Croatia." The final "has all the glamor of a third-round match at the ATP tournament in Zagreb" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/7). Also in N.Y., Christopher Clarey writes the emergence of Nishikori and Cilic "is certainly encouraging news to Japanese and Croatian tennis fans but much less of a felicitous development for ... CBS as it bids farewell to the Open ... without an established figure to anchor its final broadcast." ATP BOD member and Tennis Channel analyst Justin Gimelstob said of CBS, "Maybe it validates them not paying so much money to keep it" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/8). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Jason Gay writes there is naturally "some edginess about a drop in TV ratings -- but let's be realistic: Even at its thrilling best, tennis was never going to threaten Monday Night Football" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 9/8).
GAME, SET, MATCH: CBS' Dick Enberg on Saturday during the U.S. Open reflected on the net's 47 years covering the tournament, as broadcast rights shift to ESPN next year. He said looking back is "a constant reminder of how young our champions were and how television, too, has matured from its spelling-out infancy." Enberg thanked "pioneers" Bud Collins and Jack Kramer for the "serving of the Open's black and white beginnings" and added "under the CBS watchful eye, the Open and television have grown to provide great theater" ("U.S. Open," CBS, 9/6).
UNDER THE RUG: SI.com's Richard Deitsch wrote it was "incredibly frustrating for tennis viewers to watch the whitewash that occurred on ESPN’s airwaves regarding the dismissal of Patrick McEnroe" as USTA Head of Player Development. A net "trying to protect its talent" is understandable "(up to a point), but viewers got played." When it "came time for ESPN to have McEnroe, its longtime analyst, on set to discuss what happened, viewers got Chris Evert and Hannah Storm praising McEnroe’s tenure, zero questions of substance, and brother John McEnroe yukking it up, and joking with the audience that he was not likely to be hired." Deitsch: "A blank screen would have provided more context and been more honest" (SI.com, 9/7).
