In L.A., Stephen Battaglio reports CBS won premiere week among broadcast nets "with an average of 9.5 million viewers" from Sept. 25-Oct. 1, but the figure was down 15% from last year. NBC came in second with 7.8 million viewers, down 11%. ABC and Fox saw 1% and 14% drops, respectively. The weekly averages for CBS and NBC were "hurt by year-to-year comparisons" for "TNF" and "SNF", respectively, as both were down from '16. CBS' "TNF" audience last week was "likely depressed by a 47 minute weather delay" (L.A. TIMES, 10/4).
TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE: SI.com's Richard Deitsch reported Fox will send 450 people to Russia for the '18 FIFA World Cup, the "largest production in the network’s 24-year history." Daytime and late-night studio coverage will "air from a set in Moscow’s Red Square." There will be three studio shows -- "World Cup Live" (airing at 6:00am ET); "World Cup Today" (prior to matches) and "World Cup Tonight" (airing after matches). The net will stream 15 original series on Fox Sports Go and has partnered with sister network NatGeo for a "multi-platform visual experience." Fox also hired Russian pianist/composer Kirill Richter and musician DJ Rudenko to "capture a musical flavor of the country." The coverage "should increase the visibility of soccer host Kate Abdo, who is a unique talent" (SI.com, 10/3).
BLACKOUT TO CONTINUE: IndyCar CEO Mark Miles on Monday said that the plan is to "continue blacking out" the Indianapolis 500 in the local market. He said, "Our outlook hasn't changed. This is an event, because of its enormity, and the number of spectators on site in order to make it successful, we have to be pretty risk averse in terms of the dynamic of live television and spectator attendance." Despite calls to "lift the blackout after two consecutive years of stellar attendance," the race has been blacked out locally every year since '51, with the exception of the 100th running in '16 (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 10/4).
