Sunshine Millions Overnight Ratings Dip

NBC's telecast of the Jan. 29 Sunshine Millions from Gulfstream Park in Florida and Santa Anita Park in California earned modest overnight ratings for the network that ticked down below the 2004 edition.

The Magna Entertainment spectacular attracted a rating of 1.6 and a three share, off from the 1.7/four share garnered last year. In overnight ratings, which measure the country's biggest markets, each ratings point equals 740,000 viewers. The show, then, attracted an average of about 1.14 million viewers.

The two-hour broadcast that began at 4 p.m. ET ran up against the Kentucky-Arkansas college basketball game on CBS and fourth-round action from the Bob Hope Classic PGA event on ABC. The Sunshine Millions, which featured four races from both Gulfstream and Santa Anita, lured a 1.5 rating and three share for its first three half-hour segments, and jumped to a 1.9/4 for the final half hour, which featured the Sunshine Millions Classic won by longshot Musique Toujours.

National ratings are due out Thursday.