Star-Studded Wimbledon Finals Earn Big Ratings On NBC

NBC Earns 4.6/12 Overnight Rating For Nadal-Federer Final

KUDOS FOR NBC: In Toronto, Chris Zelkovich writes NBC for Nadal-Federer should "take a bow for doing what too many networks avoid doing: standing back and letting the story unfold." NBC "did an exemplary job in avoiding the usual traps that have ensnared too many overzealous producers and announcers." NBC announcers Ted Robinson and John McEnroe avoided "telling viewers from the onset that this could be the greatest match in the history of the game." When the announcers "finally started letting the superlatives fly, they were not only effective but credible." If yesterday's match "doesn't return tennis to the upper echelons of television sports, then tennis may have to resort to using grenades instead of balls" (TORONTO STAR, 7/7). In Orlando, Hal Boedeker wrote the Williams sisters "were wonderful Saturday morning," and "so was NBC's coverage of the women's final." NBC's Mary Carillo is "such a smart, enthusiastic analyst -- you could hear her delight in discussing the superb match" (ORLANDOSENTINEL.com, 7/5). However, SI.com's Jon Wertheim in his 50 parting shots from Wimbledon wrote, "Tons of [reader] mail pertained to the television coverage, particularly about the tape-delayed coverage. Sadly I'm not sure what there is to say about this. Wimbledon isn't turning down NBC's money. And NBC isn't pre-empting the 'Today Show' for tennis" (SI.com, 7/6).

DOUBLE FAULT? In St. Louis, Dan Caesar notes KSDK-NBC's coverage of yesterday's final overlapped scheduled coverage of the Cubs-Cardinals game "by more than an hour," so the station used a split-screen to carry both. KSDK News Dir Mike Shipley: "We didn't want to not give tennis fans a look at that exciting final. By the same token, more people were watching the Cardinals." KSDK Sports Dir Rene Knott during the net's 5:00pm CT newscast apologized to viewers and said that fans "weren't given their 'full due'" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 7/7). St. Louis was the top major market for Wimbledon coverage yesterday with a 8.2/19 overnight rating (THE DAILY).

ROYAL PRESENCE: During Nadal-Federer yesterday, NBC Sports President Ken Schanzer was shown on-screen while Robinson noted he was sitting, along with his wife Lisa, in the Royal Box for the match as “honored guests” and referred to him as “El Presidente.” Schanzer was shown on-screen for around two seconds (NBC, 7/6).

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