We’re back with the notebook after a few days absence. Got busy with a few things so happy to have this back. I’ve plenty of linkage for you.
NEWS
Ratings from the weekend were delayed due to some problem at the Nielsen headquarters. This happens every so often.
NBC said its first Divisional Playoff game since 1998 between the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots averaged 34 million viewers.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello tweeted Sunday’s viewership numbers:
Dallas-Green Bay averaged 44.4 million viewers; Indy-Denver 41.8 million.
— Greg Aiello (@gregaiello) January 13, 2015
Divisional POs avged 37.8 million viewers, up +10% & 5th straight season each of the 4 Divisional games averaged over 30.0 million viewers
— Greg Aiello (@gregaiello) January 13, 2015
Had Dallas-Green Bay been in the late window on Sunday, it could have reached 50 million especially with a close game late and the controversial call that declared Dez Bryant’s catch incomplete due to it being a football move. We’ll get the official press releases later today and I’ll post them here when I get them.
Overall, good news for the NFL after Wild Card Weekend was down from 2014.
Let’s get to some long overdue linkage.
LINKAGE
John Ourand of Sports Business Journal is amazed at Stuart Scott’s impact on sports.
Austin Karp at Sports Business Daily looks at the local ratings for the 2014 NFL regular season.
The Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism at the University of Maryland has students describing the newspaper front page of the future.
Advertising Age has a chart on which businesses have bought time for Super Bowl XLIX.
R. Thomas Umstead of Multichannel says 2015 brings some new features to the cable TV business model.
Bruce Allen of Boston Sports Media watch says the trolling by local sports radio is out of hand.
Chad Finn of the Boston Globe notes that NBC’s Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth sounded forced when they had to discuss a script that came directly from the NFL.
Newsday’s Neil Best talks with Campus Insiders’ Bonnie Bernstein.
The New York Times’ Richard Sandomir says ESPN is trying to flex the Knicks out of its NBA schedule.
Richard also looks at the early days of the NFL blackout rules when all local home games weren’t available in the local area even despite sellouts.
James Wagner of the Washington Post tells us that MASN expects to bring back the entire Nationals broadcast crew.
Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News reports that the Cowboys were very good for one sports radio station.
Barry says Cowboys-Packers drew well in Big D.
Kevin Kleps of Crain’s Cleveland Business writes that Fox is hoping its mobile and tablet app which streams Cavaliers’ live games will be a hit.
Anthony Schoette of the Indianapolis Business Journal says a network affiliate switch will bring ratings and viewers to the new CBS station.
Ed Sherman of the Sherman Report wonders that despite WGN signing a new TV contract with the Chicago Cubs, will it be too late in the long run?
James Bradshaw of the Toronto Globe and Mail goes behind-the-scenes with Rogers on the new Hockey Night in Canada.
And that will do it for the notebook for now.
