From the U.S. Open: Tiger boosts TV ratings...duh

BEST OVERNIGHT FOR U.S. OPEN THIRD ROUND IN SIX YEARS

NBC Dominates the Competition in Primetime as Tiger Makes Memorable Climb to Top of Leaderboard

"Don't tell my bosses, but I would have paid them to broadcast that." -- NBC's Roger Maltbie.

LA JOLLA, Calif. -- June 15, 2008 - Tiger Woods proved once again why he's the world's greatest golfer and the ultimate primetime player as his memorable climb to the top of the leaderboard drove NBC Sports' primetime broadcast (4-10:30 p.m. ET) of yesterday's epic third round of the U.S. Open to its best third round overnight rating in six years (2002 - Bethpage, 6.4/16). NBC's coverage earned a 5.3 overnight rating and 12 share dominating the competition in primetime and garnering a 15 percent increase over last year (4.6/12). "Don't tell my bosses, but I would have paid them to broadcast that," said NBC's Roger Maltbie.

The U.S. Open averaged a 5.9/12 in primetime (8-10:30 p.m. ET), crushing second place CBS by 84 percent in that time span as Woods made his epic move. The rating peaked at a 6.3/12 from 10-10:30 p.m. ET.

Yesterday's overnight for NBC was the highest for any network on Saturday night since CBS' broadcast of the semifinals of the NCAA College Basketball Tournament on April 5 and the best for NBC since the Pittsburgh Steelers-Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Wild Card game on Jan. 5.

NBC's Dan Hicks said, "How can one guy produce all of these great moments, again and again and again? It boggles the mind. It defies description."

NBC's Dottie Pepper said, "It was like a rock concert out there."

Saturday's Top 10 Markets:
1. Orlando (9.8/18)
2. Fort Myers (8.9/16)
3. West Palm Beach (8.0/15)
T4. Tampa (7.8/16)
T4. Las Vegas (7.8/15)
6. Raleigh (7.7/15)
7. Charlotte (7.6/14)
T8. San Diego (7.2/19)
T8. Greensboro (7.2/15)
10. Columbus (7.0/16)