Some Thursday Press Releases

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I have a few Thursday press releases to post for you. They should be seen before Friday’s sports action airs. Here we go.

First, CBS Sports has coverage of the Women’s Semifinals at the US Open on Friday and possibly part of the Nadal-Gonzalez match that was suspended Thursday night.

WOMEN’S SEMI-FINALS HIGHLIGHT CBS SPORTS’ COVERAGE OF U.S. OPEN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11

CBS Sports’ continuing coverage of the U.S. Open Tennis Championships on Friday, Sept. 11 (12:30-6:00 PM, ET) is highlighted by the women’s semi-final matches following the men’s doubles final.

Coverage is highlighted by No. 2-seeded Serena Williams against Kim Clijsters followed by No. 9-seeded Caroline Wozniacki taking on Yanina Wickmayer. The men’s doubles final precedes the women’s matches.

CBS Sports’ “Super Saturday” coverage on Saturday, Sept. 12 will feature the men’s semi-final matches, (12:00 NOON-6:00 PM, ET) and will be highlighted by the women’s final in prime time (8:00-10:00 PM, ET).

CBS Sport’s coverage of the 2009 U.S. Open Tennis Championships will conclude on Sunday, Sept. 13 (4:00-7:00 PM, ET) with the men’s final.

Lead play-by-play announcer Dick Enberg will be joined by expert analysts Mary Carillo and John McEnroe in the booth for the 10th consecutive year. Bill Macatee and analyst Jim courier also will call tennis action for CBS Sports. Mary Joe Fernandez serves as reporter.

Bob Mansbach serves as coordinating producer of CBS Sports’ live coverage of tennis’ final major of the year. Mansbach, David Winner and Ken Mack produce. Lead director Bob Fishman will direct along with Jim Cornell. Harold Bryant is Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.

* * *

NOTES AND QUOTES FROM CBS ANALYST JIM COURIER

(Courier on Serena-Clijsters match): Serena Williams is the Tour’s most aggressive player and when she adds confidence to her aggression, as she has done increasingly in this Open, she is simply unbeatable…That Kim Clijsters is likely the stiffest competition left for Serena to topple en route to the title is a bit surprising. But given the uncertainty at the top of women’s tennis at the moment, perhaps we should have seen this coming.

(Courier on Wozniacki-Wickmayer match): Caroline Wozniacki should be ready to handle the situation more than Yanina Wickmayer in the semi’s. She has been groomed for this moment and should be able to advance to the finals. Her counter-punching style will have to be at its very best to lift the trophy, but it will serve her well in the semis…Wickmayer has had good results on all surfaces this year and is coming into her own. The biggest question is how she will mentally handle a semi-final stage at a major.

In a related note, ESPN2 says Wednesday’s Primetime at the US Open featuring the Melanie Oudin-Caroline Wozniacki and Roger Federer-Robin Soderling matches combined to make the highest rated tennis telecast on the network.

US Open Brings ESPN2 its Most-Watched Tennis Telecast

Audience for Tournament Up 24% vs. 2008; ESPN2 Audience Triples

Wednesday night’s US Open coverage on ESPN2 – the end of Melanie Oudin’s Cinderella run through the women’s field with a 6-2, 6-2 loss to #9 seed Caroline Wozniacki followed by five-time defending champ Roger Federer outlast #12 Robin Soderling 6-0, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6 – was the most-wa
tched tennis telecast in the network’s history. An average of 1,754,000 homes (2,324,000 viewers – P2+) watched the 5+-hour program, based on a 1.8 household coverage rating. Also, it is ESPN2’s sixth-biggest audience of 2009 to date and its second-best tennis rating ever (1.9 for the 2007 Australian Open final in which Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2).

It was the second straight night sports fans tuned to ESPN2 in record numbers for tennis. Wednesday’s audience broke the household record set 24 hours earlier, an average of 1,718,000 homes (2,128,000 viewers), based on a 1.7 rating. That evening’s telecast saw #2 Serena Williams oust #10 Flavia Pennetta 6-4, 6-3 and #3 Rafael Nadal outslug #13 Gael Monfils 6-7, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3. The previous record was the 2007 Australian Open final with 1,715,000 homes (2,199,000 viewers).

US Open to Date

Through eight days, ESPN2’s first-ever coverage of tennis’ US Open has averaged an audience 24% larger across the daily marathon telecasts (sometimes longer than 12 hours), up from an average of 677,000 households to 838,000, with larger increases for the key male demos – the audience of Men 18-34 is up 46% and Men 18-49 has risen 58%. ESPN2 is averaging a 0.7 US household rating for 86 hours (up 10% from the 78 hours scheduled due to late-running matches), up 16% from a 0.6 for 2008 to date. (The household coverage-area ratings are 0.8 and 0.7, respectively).

The audience growth is larger in prime time. ESPN2 has averaged a 1.0 US household rating, up 43% from 0.7, with an average of 1,163,000 homes, up 38% from 846,000. (The household coverage-area ratings are 1.2 and 0.9, respectively). Among Men 18-34, the increase in prime time is 46%, with a 63% rise for Men 18-49.

Compared to ESPN2’s programming for the same week last year, the daytime (1-7 p.m. ET) audience has more than tripled – an increase of 206%. In prime time (7-11 p.m.), the US Open has almost tripled the network’s audience with a rise of 181%.

Digital Usage on the Rise

During the US Open, the number of page views to the tennis section of ESPN.com have more than doubled the same period last year.

All Four Slams, All in One Place

With programming on ESPN Radio, ESPN360.com, ESPNEWS and more – in addition to ESPN2’s 100 hours during the two-week tournament – ESPN is completing a Grand Slam, presenting all four of the sport’s majors, which no U.S. network has ever done before, let alone in a single year.

Looking Ahead

ESPN2’s coverage of the US Open will conclude Sunday, Sept. 13, with Cliff Drysdale and Pam Shriver on the call for the Women’s Doubles live at 1 p.m. and a special two-hour edition of SportsCenter at 9 p.m. to review the finals and the entire tournament.

ESPN airs the Basketball Hall of Fame inductions on Friday.

Basketball Hall of Fame Inductions – Including Jordan, Robinson and Stockton – Friday on ESPN

ESPN will televise the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony – including a blockbuster class of Michael Jordan, David Robinson, Jerry Sloan, John Stockton and Vivian Stringer – from Symphony Hall in Springfield, Mass., Friday, Sept. 11, at 6:30 p.m. ET. ESPN play-by-play commentator Mike Breen will emcee the event, with ESPN’s telecast hosted by Stuart Scott and Michael Wilbon.

Additional coverage will include live coverage of the press conference (Friday at 10 a.m.) on SportsCenter and ESPNEWS; guest interviews throughout the day across ESPN news and information shows; and coverage of the pep rally on ESPNEWS Friday at 12 p.m.

ESPN says Monday night’s Miami-Florida State game was the highest rated college football telecast ever in the network’s 30 year history.

Miami at Florida State: ESPN’s Second-Most-Viewed College Football Game; Season Debut of Saturday Night Football Wins Night for ABC

ESPN’s opening week of college football coverage delivered significant audience increases over last year’s season debut telecasts across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and College GameDay highlighted by ESPN’s second-most-viewed college football game – regular-season and bowl games – and ABC winning the night among all networks for its Saturday Night Football broadcast. Details:

Miami at Florida State: ESPN’s Second-Most-Viewed College Football Game

ESPN’s prime-time telecast of Miami’s 38-34 victory over then-No. 18 Florida State on Monday, Sept. 7, averaged 5,820,000 households, 8,406,000 total viewers and a 5.9 rating, making it the network’s second-most-viewed college football game – regular-season and bowl games.

The network’s most-viewed college football game was also a Labor Day showdown between Miami and Florida State, on Sept. 4, 2006. That telecast averaged 6,330,000 households, 9,120,000 total viewers and a 6.9 rating.

Season Debut of Saturday Night Football Wins the Night for ABC

The Sept. 5 debut of Saturday Night Football on ABC averaged 4,832,000 households, 7,081,000 viewers and a 4.2 rating, making ABC the top network for the night in households, viewers and across every key male and people demographic. The broadcast posted increases of 20% (vs. 4,030,000), 26% (vs. 5,601,000) and 17% (vs. 3.6), respectively, over last year’s opening telecast.

Opening Week Audience Growth for ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 Game Telecasts and College GameDay

Overall college football coverage across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and College GameDay through the first week posted audience increases over last year’s opening telecasts.

• ABC averaged 4,465,000 households, 6,371,000 viewers and a 3.9 rating for increases of 23% (vs. 3,621,000), 31% (vs. 4,866,000) and 22% (vs. 3.2), respectively.

• ESPN averaged 2,640,000 households, 3,616,000 viewers and a 2.7 rating, marking increases of 30% (vs. 2,028,000), 34% (vs. 2,693,000) and 29% (v
  s. 2.1).

• ESPN2 averaged 889,000 households and 1,141,000 viewers for its coverage for increases of 7% (vs. 830,000), 8% (vs. 1,054,000). The rating is even at a 0.9 average.

• ESPN’s College GameDay averaged 1,687,000 households, 2,061,000 viewers and a 1.7 rating for its season-opening telecast from Atlanta for increases of 20% (vs. 1,401,000), 25% (vs. 1,654,000) and 13% (vs. 1.5) over last year’s first show, also from Atlanta.

That’s it for this post. I have several other things to work on for Friday so look for those soon.

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