NBC’s Wimbledon Nets Highest Rating in Eight Years
Network’s marathon coverage of the men's Wimbledon Championships was also highest-rated final without American contending for title since 1991.
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/7/2008 1:14:00 PM
NBC said its marathon coverage of the men's Wimbledon Championships tennis final generated its best overnight ratings for the event in eight years with a 4.5 rating/12 share.
It was also the highest-rated final without an American contending for the title since 1991.
The show peaked at a 6.5/15 from 4 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday as Rafael Nadal upset Roger Federer after two rain delays in the longest match in Wimbledon finals history and arguably its most exciting.
Commentator John McEnroe -- whose own finals matchup with Bjorn Borg had been the previous record-holder for length of a final -- called it the greatest match he had ever seen and suggested that it was a shot in the arm that tennis needed.
On the ladies’ side, the Williams vs. Williams final (won by Venus over sister Serena) was the highest-rated since 2005 with a 3.4 overnight rating/10 share, according to NBC.
