Sports Media Digest- October 16, 2012

http://sportsmediajournal.com/ Monday Night Football Wins the Night for ESPN- ESPN reports that last night’s Monday Night telecast between the Broncos and Chargers gave ESPN an overnight rating of 9.6 with an audience of 12.8 million viewers, winning the night, on broadcast or cable – in all key male and adult demographics. Through seven games on ESPN thus far this NFL season, MNF is averaging a 10.3 rating and 13,819,000 viewers, increases of four percent and three percent, respectively, from the same point last season. NBC Continues to See Huge Viewership for Sunday Night Football- NBC Sports reports that the viewership for Sunday Night Football is at it’s highest level in the seven years the network has had the rights to the telecast. Through seven games NBC is averaging a 13.4 rating, the highest primetime NFL rating in 16 years. The network’s average viewership is down slightly from 2011, with 22.1 million viewers tuning in this year compared to 22.2 million last year. Sunday’s Packers/Texans game had a 11.8 rating and 19.9 million viewers, up 17% and 13% from last year’s week six match-up. South Carolina/LSU Most Watched College Football Game This Past Weekend- ESPN reports that last Saturday’s match-up between South Carolina and LSU averaged a 3.7 US rating and 5,978,000 viewers, making it the most watched college game of the weekend. The game was also ESPN’s most-viewed and highest-rated regular-season college football game since September 15, 2011. NFL Network Replay Schedule- The NFL Network (NFLN) will be replaying three games from this weekend beginning tonight. AT 8:00p.m. ET NFLN will re-air the Cowboys at Ravens. At 9:30p.m. ET the Patriots at Seahawks will replay. Tomorrow at 9:00p.m. ET NFLN will re-air last night’s Monday Night game between the Broncos and Chargers. ESPNU’s Behind-the-Scenes College Football Programs Tonight- ESPNU tonight will televise pair of behind-the-scenes looks at college football programs. At 7:00p.m. ET All-Access: Duke goes inside the Blue Devils’ coaches meetings and have head coach David Cutcliffe and his assistants wired at football practice. At 7:30p.m. ET ESPNU Road Trip’s hosts Niki Noto and Ali Nejad visit Seattle to get the first look at the new Husky Stadium with Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian and see how fans prepared for the Washington-USC game. Three College Football Games on NBC Sports- NBC Sports will produce three college football games this Saturday. NBC will have coverage of Notre Dame hosting BYU at 3:30p.m. ET with Tom Hammond, Mike Mayock, and Alex Flanagan on the call. The NBC Sports Network will telecast two games: 12:00p.m. ET Penn at Yale (Randy Moss, Anthony Herron and Kelli Johnson); 3:30p.m. ET UNLV at Boise State (Paul Burmeister, Rod Woodson and Anthony Herron); NASCAR Continues This Weekend on ESPN- ESPN continues its coverage of the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series this weekend from Kansas City. The Nationwide race takes place Saturday at 3:00p.m. ET on ESPN2. The Sprint Cup race kicks-off Sunday at 1:00p.m. on ESPN. Allen Bestwick calls the Sprint Cup race with Marty Reid at the mic for the Nationwide event. Dale Jarrett is the lead analyst for both races. Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch and Vince Welch will be in the pits. Nicole Briscoe, Rusty Wallace, Ray Evernham and Brad Daugherty handle pre and post race coverage.