FOR THE WEEK OF 3/27/06 - 4/2/06
DIRECT TO THE TOP: Fox’s coverage of NASCAR’s DirecTV 500 and prerace show were the two most-watched sporting events on the Sunday of Final Four weekend. Averaging 6.8 million households, up 21 percent from last year’s race, it was the biggest TV audience ever for the race. The coverage also outdrew the ratings posted for an NBA doubleheader (ABC) and final rounds of PGA (NBC) and LPGA (CBS) tournaments.
| Top 10 Network Sports Telecasts |
| Rank | Net. | Program | Date | Rating | Share | Households Watching
(000s) |
| 1 | CBS | NCAA: MEN'S FINAL FOUR: George MASON-FLORIDA | 4/01 | 9.0 | 19 | 9,941 |
| 2 | CBS | NCAA: MEN'S FINAL FOUR: LSU-UCLA | 4/01 | 8.2 | 15 | 8,997 |
| 3 | CBS | NCAA: MEN'S FINAL FOUR: BETWEEN GAMES | 4/01 | 7.9 | 15 | 8,708 |
| 4 | FOX | NASCAR: NEXTEL CUP SERIES DIRECTV 500 | 4/02 | 6.2 | 15 | 6,792 |
| 5 | CBS | NCAA: MEN'S FINAL FOUR: POSTGAME COVERAGE | 4/01 | 4.8 | 10 | 5,297 |
| 6 | FOX | NASCAR: DIRECTV 500 PRERACE | 4/02 | 3.7 | 10 | 4,131 |
| 7 | NBC | PGA: BELLSOUTH CLASSIC (THIRD ROUND) | 4/01 | 2.6 | 7 | 2,835 |
| 8 | NBC | PGA: BELLSOUTH CLASSIC (FINAL ROUND) | 4/02 | 2.5 | 6 | 2,795 |
| 9 | CBS | NCAA: FINAL FOUR SHOW (PREGAME) | 4/01 | 2.3 | 6 | 2,566 |
| 10 | ABC | NBA: HOUSTON-L.A. LAKERS/DENVER-DALLAS | 4/02 | 2.1 | 5 | 2,345 |
HOOPS HIGH: ESPN’s Thursday night postseason NIT championship game coverage on March 30 averaged 1.3 million households, up 17 percent from last year’s championship game. The net’s coverage of seven postseason NIT games averaged 9.8 million households, up 25.6 percent from 2005. ESPN had nine of the 10 top-rated cable sports shows for the week, including five games from the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.
| Top 10 Cable Sports Telecasts |
| | | | (RATING) | | |
| Rank | Net | Program | Date | National | Cov. Area | Share | Households Watching
(000s) |
| 1 | ESPN | NCAA: WOMEN'S FINAL FOUR: BETWEEN GAMES | 4/02 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 3 | 1,951 |
| 2 | ESPN | NCAA: WOMEN'S FINAL FOUR: LSU-DUKE | 4/02 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 3 | 1,918 |
| 3 | ESPN | NCAA: WOMEN'S FINAL FOUR: MARYLAND-North CAROLINA | 4/02 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 3 | 1,776 |
| 4 | ESPN | NCAA: WOMEN'S REG. FINAL: UCONN-DUKE | 3/28 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 3 | 1,758 |
| 5 | ESPN | NCAA: SLAM DUNK/3 POINT CONTEST | 3/30 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 2 | 1,359 |
| 6 | ESPN | NCAA: WOMEN'S REG. FINAL: TENNessee-North CAROLINA | 3/28 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 2 | 1,345 |
| 7 | ESPN | NCAA: WOMEN'S REG. FINAL: STANFORD-LSU | 3/27 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 2 | 1,323 |
| 8 | ESPN | NIT: CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: South CAROLINA-MICHIGAN | 3/30 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 2 | 1,305 |
| 9 | TNT | NBA: SAN ANTONIO-L.A. LAKERS | 3/30 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 3 | 1,295 |
| 10 | ESPN | NBA: MIAMI-CLEVELAND | 4/01 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 3 | 1,209 |
Rating — Estimated percent of all TV households of persons tuned to a specific program source. One ratings point equals 1,102,000 homes.
Share — Estimated percent of all households using television at that time which are tuned to a specific program source.
Source: Nielsen Media Research
