Bruce Springsteen’s appearance at the Super Bowl half-time on Sunday dovetailed with the January 27 release date for his new album “Working On A Dream.” So, how will his Super Bowl performance impact the sales of latest album and older songs?
According to a new study by Nielsen PreView, not surprisingly, album sales and digital tracks do go up following a Super Bowl half-time performance. However, not all artist sales are equal and not all markets respond similarly.
The study, which analyzed music sales of the past four Super Bowl half-time …

With all the anticipation surrounding Sunday’s big game, an analysis of national and local ratings from past Super Bowls provides insight into the viewership of this year’s matchup:

In terms of DMA’s (Designated Market Area), Phoenix is ranked 12th and Pittsburgh 23rd of the 56 metered markets. The 2006 Super Bowl featured a similar match-up with Seattle, ranked the 13th largest DMA, against Pittsburgh, then 22nd. That game received a 57.4 rating in Pittsburgh and 54.4 in Seattle (compared to 41.6 nationally).

From 1999-2008, the highest single-year metered market performance was delivered in Jacksonville …

Last year’s matchup between the Patriots and the Giants was viewed by a record 97.5 million people in the U.S. As expected, the Super Bowl was the most-watched TV broadcast in 2008. Networks broadcasting the Super Bowl often use the game as a lead-in for one of their regular shows. This year, NBC will broadcast a one-hour episode of The Office. Last year, 29.1 million viewers stuck around after the game to watch an episode of House on FOX.

Year
Super Bowl
Avg. viewers
in millions
Show After Game
Avg. viewers
in millions

2008
FOX – …

The 2008 Super Bowl was the highest-rated TV show in the U.S. for the year and was viewed by a record 97.5 million people – more than any previous Super Bowl. And, as expected, 42.9 percent of those viewers were males 18 years and older (45.8 million viewers). However, according to The Nielsen Company, 37.7 million women over the age of 18 were also watching. In the last 10 years, the percentage of women watching the Super Bowl between the ages of 18-54 has increased by 8 percent.
Despite this …

The NHL’s Eastern and Western Conference All-Stars will rendezvous in Montreal this weekend, commemorating the 100th year of Les Habs, the Montreal Canadiens franchise.
US TV Ratings for last year’s All-Star Game on VERSUS were up 17%, proving the NHL’s decision to move the game the first Sunday sans NFL in 5 months a wise one.
Viewership for the Skills Competition and Young Stars Game, airing on Saturday Night, was also up 26% compared to 2007.
This season, the NHL on VERSUS is up an impressive 17%, continuing hockey’s ratings renaissance.

Season
# …

For many NFL fans, Conference Championship Sunday is the best weekend for football.
In about the time it takes to watch the Super Bowl- with its 30-minute halftime and extended commercial breaks- fans can enjoy two championship-caliber games.
A Nielsen duplication study reveals that 66% of the households that tuned in to last year’s Conference Championships saw BOTH games, with 85% of the AFC’s audience also watching a portion of the NFC game, and 75% of the NFC audience watching the earlier AFC game.
This year’s matchups have their work cut out to top …

There’s been no shortage of criticism surrounding the College Football postseason – even the President-elect threw in his two cents – but there’s no denying the bowl season still generates a huge amount of viewer interest.
There is no better bellwether than this year’s BCS National Championship between Oklahoma and Florida. Last night’s FedEx BCS National Championship received a 15.8 rating, up 16% from last year’s game.
In the metered markets, Oklahoma City had the highest local rating, with 51.7% of the Sooners’ home DMA tuning into the game. Five local Florida …

Rank
Program
Network
Match-Up
Viewers (P2+)

1
FOX SUPER BOWL XLII
FOX
NY GIANTS VS NEW ENGLAND
97,563,000

2
FOX NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
FOX
NY GIANTS AT GREEN BAY
54,005,000

3
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP ON CBS
CBS
SAN DIEGO AT NEW ENGLAND
44,850,000

4
FOX NFC PLAYOFF-SUN
FOX
NY GIANTS AT DALLAS
40,094,000

5
SUM OLYM TUE PRIME 1
NBC
 n/a
34,586,000

6
SUM OLYM SUN PRIME 1
NBC
 n/a
32,679,000

7
SUM OLYM SAT PRIME 2
NBC
 n/a
31,890,000

8
AFC DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF-SU
CBS
SAN DIEGO AT INDIANAPOLIS
31,598,000

9
AFC DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF-SA
CBS
JACKSONVILLE AT NEW ENGLAND
30,932,000

10
SUM OLYM MON PRIME 1
NBC
 n/a
30,579,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (2008).

Each week, Nielsen analysts offer their take on the biggest sports media headlines.
The NHL is hoping old acquaintances will provide an unforgettable New Year’s Day in its second annual Winter Classic. The Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks – two of the original six hockey teams – will drop the puck outdoors at historic Wrigley Field- home to baseball’s Chicago Cubs.
Last year’s inaugural outdoor game provided a memorable tableaux, with Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby carving through the Buffalo snow to score the winning goal in an overtime shootout in front of …

NBA fans will have quite a few presents to unwrap on Christmas Day, with none bigger than the Boston Celtics-Los Angeles Lakers matchup on ABC. The teams square off for the first time since last year’s NBA Finals. When the Celtics defeated the Lakers for their 17th championship in June, the series received an average of 14.9 million viewers, the most for the NBA Finals in five years.
Since ABC obtained NBA broadcasting rights in 2002, the network’s Christmas Day games have averaged a 4.1 rating and 6.9 million viewers nationally. …