Triple Crown chase brings ratings pop

0 Comments | USA TODAY, June, 2008 | by Michael Hiestand

Given Big Brown was going for the Triple Crown on Saturday, ABC's Belmont Stakes rating was well above what it got last year but also well below the last Belmont with a Triple Crown contender.

Saturday, ABC's race coverage (6:15-7:15 p.m. ET) drew a 10.5 overnight rating, which translates to 10.5% of TV households in 56 urban markets used for overnights. That's up 169% from last year's comparable ABC Belmont overnight. But the 10.5 overnight is also down 33% from the comparable overnight for NBC's 2004 coverage, when Smarty Jones was the last horse going for the Triple Crown.

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