Networks Drop Ball in Nielsen Ratings
By Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 10/21/2007 8:00:00 PM
The world of big-event TV sports collided Monday, Oct. 15, and cable lost.
On a night that featured TBS’s coverage of game four of the National League Championship Series, Fox’s presentation of the third tilt of the American League Championship Series and ESPN’s Monday Night Football, the very funny network and the total-sports network came up small.
The MNF matchup, a 31-10 rout by the New York Giants over the Michael Vick-less Atlanta Falcons was the lowest-rated game in the franchise’s history, while the concluding game of the Colorado Rockies’ sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks marked the second lowest NLCS game ever — just behind the second game of the series.
For its part, Fox’s coverage of the Cleveland Indians’ 4-2 win over the Boston Red Sox, which started at 7 p.m. (ET), connected on a 6.7 national household rating and 9.9 million viewers, almost double the number of watchers that tuned in the equivalent ALCS game in 2006, which was played during the day.
MNF, which kicked off in its usual 8:30 p.m. timeslot, tackled only a 6.7 cable rating, 6.45 million households and 8.48 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research data. The Oct. 15 game fell below the 6.9 rating, 6.63 million households and 8.5 million viewers for the San Francisco 49ers-Arizona Cardinals contest on Sept. 10.
That contest, though, kicked off at 10:30 p.m. as the nightcap of a season-opening doubleheader.
Still, as has been the case all season, MNF Oct. 15 led all of cable and broadcast among males 18 to 34 (1.6 million of those watchers) 18 to 49 (3.3 million) and 25 to 54 (3.2 million) in its time slot, according to ESPN officials.
At TBS, which out-pointed both ESPN, ESPN2 and Fox’s performances with its exclusive coverage of MLB’s four Division Series, averaging a 4.4 cable rating (3.8 national) and 5.7 million viewers, increases of 18% and 26%, respectively, took a precipitous Nielsen drop with the NLCS.
With late-night starts, including first pitch at 10:15 p.m. on Oct. 15, the four-game NLCS, which had all previously aired on Fox, averaged a 3.3 cable rating (2.8 nationally) and 4.3 million viewers. The low mark came with the second game on Friday Oct. 12, an 11-inning 4.5 hour affair, which pulled just a 2.6 cable rating (2.2) and 3.3 million viewers. The Oct. 15 contest, which sent the Rox to their first World Series appearance, earned a 3.0 (2.5) rating and 3.8 million viewers.
TBS officials attributed the downturn to the matchup of midsized markets — Denver ranks No. 18, Phoenix No 12. Last year’s NLCS pitted the New York Mets (in market No. 1) against the St. Louis Cardinals (No. 21).
The sweeps — four out of five series — also took their toll, as Turner execs noted that ratings build as the stakes intensify and games are added. TBS, which officials said lost money in the first year of its seven-year postseason contract, only televised 17 of the 27 potential postseason games it had the rights to this year.
All told, TBS averaged 5.4 million viewers, the same level as the first 18 games (through the first four games of the 2006 NLCS) last season. TBS officials said it also outpaced its competitors among adults 18 to 34 (11%), persons 18 to 49 (5%), men 18 to 34 (14%) and men 18 to 49 (2%).
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