Top 20 Sports Events - Total Households: Week of 03/29/04 - 04/04/04 RANK PROGRAM NAME NETWORK DAY RATING AUDIENCE 1 CBS NCAA BSKBL CHAMP SA-2(S)-04/03/2004 CBS Sat 10.5 11,350,000 2 CBS NCAA BSKBL CHAMP-SA-1(S)-04/03/2004 CBS Sat 8.3 8,945,000 3 FOX NASCAR NEXTEL CUP FOX Sun 6.0 6,496,000 4 NBA ON ABC-SUN 2 ABC Sun 3.5 3,799,000 5 WWE SMACKDOWN! UPN Thu 3.2 3,433,000 6 BELLSOUTH CLASSIC GOLF-SU(S)-04/04/2004 NBC Sun 2.5 2,720,000 7 NBA ON ABC-SUN 1 ABC Sun 2.2 2,436,000 8 FOX NASCAR BUSCH SERIES FOX Sat 2.1 2,327,000 9 BELLSOUTH CLASSIC GOLF-SA(S)-04/03/2004 NBC Sat 2.1 2,266,000 10 WRLD FIG SKATING CH-4/3(S)-04/03/2004 ABC Sat 1.7 1,844,000 11 MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER-4/3(S)-04/03/2004 ABC Sat 1.3 1,429,000 12 CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR-SU CBS Sun 1.2 1,293,000 13 WRLD SHORT TRACK SPEED SK(S)-04/03/2004 ABC Sat 1.0 1,065,000 14 CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR-SA CBS Sat 1.0 1,111,000 15 NBC ARENA FOOTBALL NBC Sun 1.0 1,071,000 16 PURINA DG CHW INC DG CHLG PAX Sat 0.3 292,000 http://www.zap2it.com/television/news/ratings/sports/
WHO THE HELL WATCHES GOLF ON TV!!!!!???? I think MLS should move up two ranks. No one is watching golf...really watching. You have golf on TV for background noise while you clean or (more likely) take a nap!
I agree.. Golf, and Figure skating are two sports I would rather poke my eyes out with a red hot fire poker than be subjected to.
Two things: The final couple of holes of the Masters was as compelling as any sporting event I've ever seen. Second, why the hell is Pro Wrestling listed?
Yes I've heard of GolTV--which is produced in Spanish and not completely dubbed into English--and Fox Sports World, which also shows rugby, Formula One, Cricket, and other non-American sports.
Perhaps you've heard of GolTV, but you've obviously never seen it because it is fully dubbed, translated, or completely reproduced in English. And yes, FSW doesn't show soccer 24 hours a day, but its damn close to a "soccer channel"
I watch it frequently, as I am a soccer fan and get it on the Dish network. I remember certain shows were not dubbed into English, if they're doing so now that's great. Still, it's produced outside the US orginially in Spanish and is aimed primarily at the Hispanic market. Golf TV is made in the US in English originally. "Primarily" is close but not quite. Every day they show some rugby or some other sport. Also, I think Golf TV is available in many markets where GolTV isn't. Same for FSW.
Holy crap. I thought this was going to be great news. Instead, it turns out it barely beat out short-track speed skating. Time to bust out my Apollo body suit.
Well, I think you are splitting hairs a bit, but fine....if that makes you happy. I would like to point out that the VAST majority of Golf viewership doesn't come from the Golf Channel but from CBS, ESPN and USA.
Of course they get better ratings. They're much bigger networks. My point was that golf had the popularity to justify launching a golf-only network produced in this country. It's been sucessful, and is available in many markets GolTV and FSW aren't. Soccer may be at that point soon. Very soon, in fact. But it hasn't happened quit yet. Buying the rights to GolTV and dubbing it, and FSW are both steps towards that.
do you know why there is a Golf Channel? Because of Comcast, which own it. In places where Comcast is the cable operator, you will see Golf Channel in Basic Cable whereas if you want ESPN2, you will need Expanded Basic. Golf Channel isn't own by the PGA like NBA TV, or NFL Network by their own league. It is owned by a cable provider. Though I have no idea how popular golf is as a spectator sport, though it's very popular as something you do if you have lot of free-time and rich.
I thought there was a Golf Channel before Comcast owned it. News Corp used to own 31% of it. But I thought Arnold Palmer sank a boatload of money into it at the beginning. Obviously, Comcast helps a bunch. Demographics, baby. It's called not counting the people you reach, but reaching the people who count.
It is? I just talked to someone from there recently, and he said they have English on the SAP button and had plans to do a standalone English companion network soon. I have never seen it, so I'm just going by what he told me.
I would rather watch golf and figure skating or poke my eyes out with a red hot fire poker than be subjected to watching American soccer.
unless you're sacrastic (which I don't think you are) it shows you how much you love beautiful game, which is not very much.
On the other hand, you like spending time on an American soccer internet forum. (And people wonder why Europe is dying a slow, miserable death.)
A thread I thought was going to be good news is soon crushed my hopes with debates about the Golf Channel and how we lost to figure skating and almost to Arena Football and speed skating. I'm more interested to see the ESPN 2 figures from this past saturday...