Let’s open the notebook after a busy weekend. Took Monday off after the Greg Anthony news and an interview I conducted with CBS’ Tracy Wolfson which I’ll provide in the links.
First the news:
NEWS
The ratings and viewership for the NFL Conference Championship games are in. While both games drew over 40 million viewers, the numbers were down from last year when both games garnered over 50 million.
The NFC Championship on Fox which was in the early window this year saw a rating of 27.4 with a share of 51. Good numbers, but down from last year’s AFC Championship Game on CBS between the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots which was in the early window in 2014. The AFC Championship received a whopping 28.1/51.
Green Bay-Seattle drew a very good 49.8 million viewers, but that’s down from the AFC’s 51.3 million in the early window last year. And compared to last year’s NFC Championship which was played late, it’s way down from 55.9 million.
The AFC Championship on CBS averaged a 22.6 rating and 42.1 million viewers, down from Fox’s 28.5 rating and the aforementioned 55.9 million viewers for the NFC Championship Game in the late window last year.
A lot had to do with both games not being compelling for the most part. The NFC Championship until Seattle’s onside kick was recovered was a boring game and then viewership began to rise, peaking at 60.5 million as the game went into overtime. We have the official NFL press release on this.
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY AVERAGES 46.1 MILLION VIEWERS
60.5 MILLION VIEWERS TUNED IN AS GREEN BAY PACKERS-SEATTLE SEAHAWKS WENT TO OVERTIME
Football fans across America continue to tune in to NFL games in BIG numbers. This weekend’s conference championship games averaged 46.1 million viewers, topping 45 million for a second consecutive year. This is the sixth consecutive year that both conference championship games have averaged more than 40.0 million viewers.
The Green Bay Packers-Seattle Seahawks NFC Championship Game on FOX peaked at 60.5 million average viewers as the game went into overtime. The game averaged 49.8 million viewers to rank as the most-watched program since Super Bowl XLVIII.
The Indianapolis Colts-New England Patriots AFC Championship Game on CBS averaged 42.1 million viewers.
Since the 2014 Academy Awards, five NFL games have accounted for the only programs on television to average at least 40 million viewers – two Conference Championship games, two Divisional playoff games and one Wild Card playoff game.
Source: NFL & The Nielsen Company, Fast National Data
LINKAGE
Two links to Richard Deitsch today. First is on what is next for suspended CBS/Turner announcer Greg Anthony. The second link deals with Deitsch’s suggestion on who could be the next Charles Barkley on the NBA.
Variety remembers former CBS director Tony Verna who invented instant replay on sports television and was a prolific producer of TV programs throughout his career. Verna passed away over the weekend at the age of 81.
Ken Kerschbaumer at Sports Video Group looks at ESPN’s production facilities at the Australian Open.
At ESPN’s Public Relations Front Row blog, ESPN PR maven Paul Melvin notes that the network’s Pylon Cam has passed tests with flying colors.
Advertising Age has the video of the NBA’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day promo which aired throughout its national games on Monday.
Ryan J. Foley of the Associated Press reports that an Iowa State Patrol supervisor is in trouble for joking on Facebook that he wanted a sniper to take out ESPN analyst Dan Dakich.
Doug Ferguson of the AP looks at 20 years of the Golf Channel.
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to speak with CBS’ Tracy Wolfson for the Awful Announcing interview.
AA Fearless Leader Matt Yoder says it’s time for CBS to bring in Bill Raftery to replace Greg Anthony on college basketball games.
Ed Sherman at the Sherman Report says it’s a sad demise for Greg Anthony.
Eric Goldschein of SportsGrid writes that NBC Nightly News apologized for showing Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman wearing a Tupac t-shirt. Tupac was flipping the double bird and he still manages to provoke even though he’s been dead for years.
Chad Finn of the Boston Globe writes about CBS retaining the rights to Thursday Night Football in 2015.
The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick spreads his hate for everyone.
The Albany Times Union’s Pete Dougherty says the Greg Anthony suspension leaves CBS with a big decision.
Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times previews tonight’s Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel segment on the 1985 Chicago Bears.
David Barron of the Houston Chronicle has the most-watched sports programs in the city in 2014.
Duane Dudek notes that Milwaukee’s rating for the NFC Championship was lower than the Green Bay-Dallas NFC Divisional Playoff Game the week before.
Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has Joe Buck and Dan Dierdorf railing against those who feel the Gateway City is just a baseball town.
Dusty Saunders of the Denver Post says HBO’s Real Sports continues to produce great content.
Paula Boivin of the Arizona Republic profiles the one and only Bill Walton.
Real Clear Sports has the top 10 sports media personalities.
Holly Sonders tells Golf Magazine why she chose to leave Golf Channel and go to Fox.
The lovely Gail Sideman at her public relations blog, Publiside, tells guests to learn their host’s name when doing interviews. It’s very good advice.
Plenty of stuff already so we’ll skip the News You Can Use for now. It’ll return in tomorrow’s notebook.
