First, the results of last week's predictions:
— Super Bowl 50. Prediction: 47.8; final rating: 46.6.
— Super Bowl pregame (including final half-hour). Prediction: 11.8; final rating: 11.2.
— Super Bowl pregame (not including final half-hour). Prediction: 8.0; final rating: 8.3.
— “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Prediction: 11.0; final rating: 10.3.
— NFL Honors. Prediction: 2.5; final rating: 2.8.
— NBA regular season, Thunder-Warriors. Prediction: 2.2; final rating: 2.0.
— NBA regular season, Clippers-Heat. Prediction: 1.6; final rating: 1.3.
— NHL regular season, Flyers-Capitals. Prediction: 0.7; final rating: 0.8.
This week's predictions:
NBA All-Star Game (8:30 p.m. Sunday, TNT/TBS). The NBA All-Star Game has been hampered by tough competition in recent years, serving as counterprogramming to last year’s SNL reunion, the Olympics in 2014 and 2010, and the Academy Awards in 2012. Free from such competition this year, the game should score a solid increase in ratings. Both last year and in 2014, it scored a 4.3. Prediction: 4.7.
NBA All-Star Saturday Night (8 p.m. Saturday, TNT). The highest rating ever for NBA All-Star Saturday Night was a 4.4 in 2011, when Blake Griffin jumped over a car in the dunk contest. The second-highest was a 3.9 in 2009, when Dwight Howard sought to defend his ‘Superman’ title from the year before. With the dunk contest lacking such starpower this year, do not expect similar ratings. Still, even a 3.6 would represent the third-highest mark ever for the event. Prediction: 3.6.
NASCAR Sprint Unlimited (8 p.m. Saturday, FOX). NASCAR makes its unofficial return with the annual Sprint Unlimited (a.k.a the Budweiser Shootout). Ratings for the event have steadily declined of late, dropping from 5.1 on FOX in 2008 to 2.0 on Fox Sports 1 in 2014. With a move from FS1 back to FOX, ratings bounced back last year to a 3.2 — but that was still the second-lowest rating for the event since at least 1998. Look for the downward trend to resume. Prediction: 2.9.
PGA Tour from Pebble Beach, final round (3 p.m. Sunday, CBS). After declines at Torrey Pines and Phoenix, the PGA Tour heads to Pebble Beach this week looking for a turnaround. Rising star Jordan Spieth is back after missing the last two weeks, but was tied for 65th place after Thursday’s opening round. As he goes, so go the ratings. Last year’s final round had a 2.3. Prediction: 2.1.
NHL on NBC, Bruins-Red Wings (3:30 p.m. Sunday, NBC). The NHL on NBC gets a rare late afternoon start this Sunday as new division rivals the Bruins and Red Wings face off. Last year’s lone late Sunday game on NBC, Bruins-Blackhawks on ‘Hockey Day in America,’ had a 1.0. Prediction: 0.9.
Paulsen is the founder of Sports Media Watch and a contributor for Sporting News. Follow him on Twitter @Paulsen_SMW .