The NFL reported Thursday that games this season averaged 14.4 million viewers, up 5% from 13.7 million for games last season.
Fox averaged 16.2 million viewers, also a 5% increase and its highest average since the network drew 17.6 million in 1995. Fox averaged a 10.5 rating, a 3% increase over last year.
CBS' final numbers were not available, but the network's ratings were up 2% (9.4 to 9.6) going into the final weekend of the regular season.
ABC, victimized by 13 blowouts, experienced a slight ratings decline from 11.5 to 11.4, while ESPN had the biggest increase at 17% (6.3 to 7.4).
Short Waves
ESPN2, apparently unfazed by criticism for televising a LeBron James game Dec. 12, will televise another Saturday at 6:30 p.m., when James' St. Vincent-St. Mary High team from Akron, Ohio, plays Mater Dei at Pauley Pavilion. Mater Dei is led by D.J. Strawberry.... TVG is not televising its popular "Trackside Live" show from Santa Anita because the track's owner, Manga Entertainment Corp., is a competitor. So TVG is instead showing races from the East on Fox Sports Net 2. Meanwhile, Santa Anita is airing its own show, "HorseRacingTV," Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. on Channel 56.... TVG on Saturday night begins showing quarter horse racing from Los Alamitos on Fox Sports Net 2.
Radio Daze
Look for KMPC (1540) to announce that Roger Lodge will soon begin hosting his own 5:30-9 a.m. morning show. Lodge, the host of the popular syndicated show, "Blind Date," has been excellent as a fill-in. He knows sports and is obviously comfortable in front of a microphone.... It may take a little getting used to, but KSPN is now at 710 on the dial, the former home of the old KMPC.... The new XTRA (690)-KXTA (1150) Super Station officially launches Monday with a lineup of Tony Bruno, Jim Rome, "Loose Cannons" Steve Hartman and Bill Werndl, Lee Hamilton and JT the Brick.
In Closing
Fox Sports Net's Lisa Guerrero ended up working on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Said Guerrero: "My New Year's resolution is to get a life."
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What Los Angeles Is Watching
*--* A sampling of L.A. Nielsen ratings for Dec. 28-29: SATURDAY Over-the-air Channel Rating Share Pro football: Kansas City at Oakland 2 12.3 26 Pro football: Philadelphia at New York Giants 11 8.4 23 Pro basketball: Lakers at Denver 9 4.8 8 Golf: ADT Skills Challenge (tape) 4 1.4 4 College basketball: Michigan at UCLA 2 1.1 3 College basketball: Kansas vs. California 7 1.1 3 Cable Network Rating Share Alamo Bowl, Colorado vs. Wisconsin ESPN 2.1 4 Continental Tire Bowl, West Virginia vs. ESPN2 0.9 2 Virginia College basketball: Kentucky at Louisville ESPN 0.6 2 College basketball: Illinois at Memphis ESPN2 0.3 2 College basketball: Texas Tech at Minnesota ESPN 0.2 0 College basketball: Indiana at Temple ESPN 0.1 0 SUNDAY Over-the-air Channel Rating Share Pro football: Green Bay at New York Jets 11 13.6 29 Pro football: Miami at New England 2 9.7 22 Pro football: Atlanta at Cleveland 11 7.1 16 Skiing: Ultimate Bumps and Jumps (tape) 2 1.5 3 Rodeo: Professional Bullriders (tape) 4 1.3 3 Golf: ADT Skills Challenge (tape) 4 1.0 2 Cable Network Rating Share Pro football: Tampa Bay at Chicago ESPN 7.1 12 Pro basketball: Toronto at Lakers FSN 3.8 6 Hockey: Kings at Colorado FSN 0.7 1 Gymnastics: Men's world championships (tape) ESPN 0.3 1 College basketball: Georgia Tech at Maryland FSN2 0.l 0 College basketball: Dayton at Duke FSN2 0.1 0 Hockey: Detroit at Dallas ESPN2 0.1 0 Weekday ratings: MONDAY -- Pro football, San Francisco at St. Louis, Ch. 7, 12.7/19, Seattle Bowl, Wake Forest-Oregon, ESPN, 2.4/5, Music City Bowl, Minnesota-Arkansas, ESPN, 1.5/4. TUESDAY -- Bowl games, Peach, Maryland-Tennessee, ESPN, 3.6/7, Sun, Washington-Purdue, Ch. 2, 2.5/6, San Francisco, Air Force-Virginia Tech, ESPN2, 2.2/4, Humanitarian, Boise State-Iowa State, ESPN, 1.8/5, Liberty, TCU-Colorado State, ESPN, 1.6/4. Silicon Valley, Fresno State-Georgia Tech, ESPN2, 0.6/1. WEDNESDAY -- Bowl games, Rose, Oklahoma-Washington State, Ch. 7, 14.4/28, Sugar, Georgia-Florida State, Ch. 7, 8.9/14, Gator, North Carolina State-Notre Dame, Ch. 4, 4.6/9, Capital One, Penn State-Auburn, Ch. 7, 3.6/7, Cotton, Louisiana State-Texas, Ch. 11, 1.9/4. Note: Each rating point represents 53,542 L.A. households. Cable ratings reflect the entire market. (Cable and satellite TV are in 76% of L.A. households.)
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In the Spotlight
Christian Okoye -- "The Gold Sheet," Saturday, 7 a.m., KMPC (1540)
Chad Pennington, Michael Vick -- "NFL Countdown," Saturday, 8 a.m., ESPN
Pennington, Brett Favre, Vick -- "Wild-Card Pregame Report," Saturday, 1 p.m., Channel 7
Darren Sharper, Ray Buchanan -- "Wild-Card Between Games Report," Saturday, 4:30 p.m., Channel 7
Bobby Taylor, Michael Strahan -- "The NFL Show," Saturday, 10:30 p.m., Sunday, 7 a.m., Fox Sports Net
Author Patrick Cohn, Ocean Trails Director of Golf Mike Vandergoes -- "Tee It Up," Sunday, 7 a.m., KSPN (710)
Donovan McNabb -- "NFL Countdown," Sunday, 8 a.m., ESPN
Plaxico Burress, Hines Ward, Antwaan Randle El -- "The NFL Today," Sunday, 9 a.m., Channel 2
Jeremy Shockey, Jeff Garcia -- "Fox NFL Sunday," Sunday, 1 p.m., Channel 11
Jeremy McGrath, James "Bubba" Stewart, Brandon Bernstein -- SpeedFreaks," Sunday, 7 p.m., KLSX (97.1)
Phil Jackson -- "SportsCenter" ("Sunday Night Conversation"), Sunday, 8 p.m., ESPN
Julio Gonzalez, Javier Mora, Duke Llewellyn -- "Ringside With Johnny Ortiz," Sunday, 8 p.m., KSPN (710)
