KATIE DEBUT POINT SPREAD
By DON KAPLAN
COUNTDOWN TO COURIC: 4 DAYS
September 1, 2006 -- NOW you can bet on Katie Couric.
An online odds-maker is taking action on what kind of ratings Couric will drum up her first night behind the anchor-desk, according to Media Life magazine.
BetCRIS.com, an Internet bookie, is offering 13-2 odds that Couric will draw an audience greater than 8.5 million viewers that first night.
A safer 5-2 bet the site offers figures that Couric will pull between 7 million and 7.5 million.
To date, the telecast as helmed by interim anchor Bob Scheiffer - who signed off last night - has averaged about 7.36 million viewers. "NBC Nightly News" draws about 9 million, while ABC's "World News Tonight" snares an average of 8.2 million.
When taken in context of the cutthroat evening news ratings race, the 5-2 bet would put Couric in third place, behind ABC's Charlie Gibson and ratings leader, NBC's Brian Williams.
The odds get longer for those who bet Couric will score above Gibson, and they get out of sight if you want to bet she'll beat Williams.
The site says it's booked about 200 bets so far, but has set the betting limit at $100.
Is CRIS the only book offering this prop? Is 200 bets accurate or is that made up?
By DON KAPLAN
COUNTDOWN TO COURIC: 4 DAYS
September 1, 2006 -- NOW you can bet on Katie Couric.
An online odds-maker is taking action on what kind of ratings Couric will drum up her first night behind the anchor-desk, according to Media Life magazine.
BetCRIS.com, an Internet bookie, is offering 13-2 odds that Couric will draw an audience greater than 8.5 million viewers that first night.
A safer 5-2 bet the site offers figures that Couric will pull between 7 million and 7.5 million.
To date, the telecast as helmed by interim anchor Bob Scheiffer - who signed off last night - has averaged about 7.36 million viewers. "NBC Nightly News" draws about 9 million, while ABC's "World News Tonight" snares an average of 8.2 million.
When taken in context of the cutthroat evening news ratings race, the 5-2 bet would put Couric in third place, behind ABC's Charlie Gibson and ratings leader, NBC's Brian Williams.
The odds get longer for those who bet Couric will score above Gibson, and they get out of sight if you want to bet she'll beat Williams.
The site says it's booked about 200 bets so far, but has set the betting limit at $100.
Is CRIS the only book offering this prop? Is 200 bets accurate or is that made up?
