Big Audience Tunes into Dallas SX
ABC Sports' coverage of the AMA Dallas Supercross shattered all expectations last week when national ratings for the April 26
broadcast were made available by the A.C. Nielsen Company according to a press release from Seals Communications.
A comprehensive report outlining national television market share for ABC's 5 p.m. Eastern time slot revealed a 3.5 rating and eight
share for the one-hour special presentation. The final rating represents an impressive 33-percent rise in household viewership from
overnight predictions, and shows the AMA Supercross to have performed admirably against Michael Jordan's Bulls and the PGA's
Greater Greenboro Open.
"We were extremely pleased with the rating and performance of the Dallas Supercross on ABC," said Tim Pernetti, manager of
programming for ABC Sports. "The broadcast grabbed our audience coming out of the Talladega NASCAR race and held on to them
with great action and compelling stories."
The Dallas Supercross, a joint production of Seals Communications Corporation (Sealsco) and PACE Motor Sports, was the first
national broadcast network appearance for the sport in nearly two decades. The show received a coveted time slot following
NASCAR's highly rated Talladega race, and was able to capitalize on its position by retaining more than 60 percent of the NASCAR
audience. Overnight ratings, which offer a "sneak" preview of viewership in the top 25 television markets, provided early indications
that the broadcast would fare well in the final report. The Nielsen-documented 3.5 rating - which translates to roughly 3.5 million
television households - blows the doors off even the most optimistic industry predictions.
"It's nice to be able to compete on the same playing field as the big leaguers, just to show the world how far the sport has come,"
said Lou Seals, CEO of Seals Communications Corporation. "There was a tremendous amount of effort put forth by the industry and
its sponsors to make this ABC show happen. It is rewarding to see the viewers and fans respond with such great enthusiasm."
ABC Sports' coverage of the Dallas event was directed by Sealsco's Scott McLemore, a 17-year veteran of the Supercross circuit
and executive producer for all of Sealsco's motorsports programming.
Last Updated May 14, 1998