Nielsen Wire » sports ratings

NHL, NBA, MLB Enjoy ‘Game 7′ Effect

Nielsen Press — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:01:50 +0000

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman doesn’t need to pick a side in tonight’s do-or-die Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. After all, history says that Bettman and the NHL have already won – at least when it comes to TV viewers.

The Nielsen Company looked back at the four Stanley Cup Finals match-ups that have gone the full seven games since 2000 and in each case, Game 7 was a ratings windfall. For example, games one through six of the 2006 finals between Edmonton and Carolina averaged 2.4 million viewers. Game 7, however, more than doubled that figure with 5.3 million viewers.

In 2003, when the New Jersey Devils finished off the Anaheim Ducks, Game 7 was watched by 7.2 million U.S. viewers on ABC. Not only did the game attract 140% more viewers than the average of the previous six games, but it was also (and still is) the most-watched Stanley Cup Finals game since at least 1992.

The “Game 7″ effect isn’t just limited to the NHL. When Detroit and San Antonio took the NBA Finals to the limit in 2005, Game 7 was watched by 65% more viewers than the series average to date. And in the eight MLB World Series or LCS matchups to go the full seven games, since 2000, Game 7 viewership overshadowed the rest of the series’ averages each time by anywhere from 74% to 94%.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:44:56 +0000

The wait is finally over for anxious football fans, as the NFL’s annual Thursday Night Kickoff Game, tonight on NBC, will usher in this year’s NFL season. The defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants will take on their divisional foe, the Washington Redskins.

Below are historical U.S. television ratings for NFL Kickoff Games since 2002.

In terms of TV ratings, the 2003 game, which drew 19.1 million U.S. viewers, is the year to beat. Last year’s game attracted approximately 17.5 million viewers.

YEAR	NETWORK	MATCHUP	US HOUSEHOLD AA%*	VIEWERS (P2+)
2007	NBC	New Orleans at Indianapolis	11.4	17,471,000
2006	NBC	Miami at Pittsburgh	12.6	19,043,000
2005	ABC	Oakland at New England	11.7	18,008,000
2004	ABC	Indianapolis at New England	11.4	16,888,000
2003	ABC	N.Y. Jets at Washington	12.9	19,149,000
2002	ESPN	San Francisco at N.Y. Giants	7.6	10,799,000
*US HH AA% : Percentage of US households – Average Audience during entire telecast

TV Sports Ratings Experiencing a Resurgance

Admin — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:31:50 +0000

While primetime TV ratings continue to suffer, sports programming across the US has seen significant growth over the past few months. Every major sporting event in the US over the past two months (The Kentucky Derby, The Belmont Stakes, The NBA Finals, The Stanley Cup Finals, The US Open Golf Championship) have enjoyed major successes.

The highly-anticipated Summer Olympics in Beijing should continue the trend. NBC will feature 1,400 hours of television coverage of the Summer Olympics with an additional 2,200 hours to be streamed online.

The growth in sports programming comes on the heels of a trying time for entertainment programming.