• by Wayne Friedman , October 1, 2008

Don't just take those TV ratings as an indication of a sports worth--especially in this growing digital age.

Publicis Groupe's media agency Optimedia says there is a lot of other media to consider. For the second edition of its "Content Power Ratings" of sports properties, it notes that the just-completed 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics Games was the top-ranked sports property. But on an average rating basis among 18-49 viewers, the Olympics came in fourth among all televised sporting events.

In compiling its study, Optimedia looks at TV ratings--as well as streaming online video, Web traffic, mobile views, press coverage and word of mouth, through research companies The Nielsen Co., comScore, ePoll, Divinity Metrics, Inc. and Dow Jones Factiva, to calculate an overall score. All are crucial to consider as viewers change the way they watch sports events.

"NFL Super Bowl," which this past year aired on Fox, came in at second place, although it achieved--as it always does yearly--the best TV ratings of any single TV show across all demographics.

The next big event, "Major League Baseball's World Series," was in third place in the overall power list. It came in seventh in TV ratings among 18-49 viewers. The two NFL championship series games placed fourth and fifth: Fox's airing of the NFC game came in fourth overall, but second in TV ratings. CBS' AFC championship game was fifth overall and third in TV viewership.

Of the top 10 listings, Fox had the top six-- and NBC, ABC, CBS and TBS each had one event.

Generally, the survey suggests that sports like the Olympics and baseball gained strength from non-TV-related factors, but that football underperformed in those same areas. Other sports that underperformed in non-TV related factors included Fox's "Daytona 500," CBS' "NCAA Men's Final Four," NBC's "Kentucky Derby" and CBS' U.S. Masters Golf event.

One of the greatest disparities between TV ratings and overall media value came with the "Tour de France," which airs on cable network Versus. It ranked 27 in Optimedia's power rankings, despite being the 57th-ranked sports event among 18-49 viewers.

Optimedia also noted that "Wrestlemania" came in at 15th place, although it was only available through pay-per-view. It achieved a better overall ranking than seemingly more widely popular TV sporting events--the NBA's Western Conference playoffs, which came in at 18th place, and the U.S. Masters Golf event, which came in 20th.

Optimedia's Content Power Ratings-Sports

Rank TV Rank Program

1. 4 2008 SUMMER OLYMPICS: BEIJING, CHINA

2. 1 NFL SUPERBOWL (Football)

3. 7 MLB WORLD SERIES (Baseball)

4. 2 NFL NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP (Football)

5. 3 NFL AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS (Football)

6. 11 MLB ALL-STAR GAME (Baseball)

7. 15 MLB AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (Baseball)

8. 10 NBA FINALS (Basketball)

9. 6 DAYTONA 500 (Auto Racing)

10. 26 MLB NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (Baseball)

11. 22 NHL STANLEY CUP (Hockey)

12. 8 NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR (College Basketball)

13. 18 NFL PRO-BOWL (Football)

14. 30 WIMBLEDON (Tennis)

15. 25 WRESTLEMANIA (Pro Wrestling)

16. 21 NBA ALL-STAR GAME (Basketball)

17. 9 KENTUCKY DERBY (Horse Racing)

18. 27 NBA PLAYOFFS - WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

19. 37 NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS (Pro Wrestling)

20. 17 MASTERS (Golf)

Note: TV Rank (18-49 viewers through August 2008)

Source: Optimedia and The Nielsen Co., comScore, ePoll, Divinity Metrics, Inc. and Dow Jones Factiva