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| ESPY Lands Highest Overnight,
But Also Criticism |
ESPN’s taped telecast of the ESPY Awards Sunday night from the Kodak Theatre in L.A. earned a 2.5 overnight Nielsen rating, the highest for the show since at least ’94. The event was held last Wednesday. Overnight records for the ceremony’s first two years, ‘93 and ‘94, are not available. For final ESPY ratings, see today’s Closing Bell (ESPN). The WALL STREET JOURNAL’s Steinberg & Vranica write ESPN’s ESPY spots featuring actor Mike O’Malley as “The Rick,” via L.A.-based Ground Zero, “may have helped ESPN attain” the ratings. O’Malley, who stars on CBS’ “Yes, Dear,” first appeared as “The Rick” in ’97, and said, “With men between 18 and 60 years old, it’s the Rick they remember. They usually say, `I love your sitcom, but I love that Rick guy.’” Meanwhile, Steinberg & Vranica note ESPY advertisers this year included GM, AT&T Wireless, PepsiCo’s Gatorade and P&G’s Old Spice (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/20).
ESPY NOMINEE? In N.Y., Richard Sandomir writes that most of the ESPY broadcast “was one star ogling another. The idea behind taping a show is to be able to edit potty-mouthery or indecent actions. But ESPN failed here.” Host Jamie Foxx “offered a classic four-letter word as the verb in a one-liner referring to [Eagles WR Terrell] Owens’ penchant for celebrating touchdowns. Foxx also reprised his risque love song to Serena Williams. ... But this year’s version was more graphic, with Foxx and Williams using a bed as a prop.” The Arthur Ashe award presentation — “the best part of the ESPY’s” — was “diminished by ESPN’s attempt to be hip and ahead of the cultural curve” (N.Y. TIMES, 7/20).
