Will Ferrell's sports comedy "Semi-Pro" claimed No. 1 at the North American box office, according to U.S. media reports Monday. (File Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, March 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Will Ferrell's sports comedy "Semi-Pro" claimed No. 1 at the North American box office, according to U.S. media reports Monday.

    The 1970s-spoofing basketball comedy recorded 15.3 million U.S. dollars in estimated ticket sales in its debut weekend, which is only about half as much as what most analysts have predicted.

    "Will Ferrell is always a draw and audiences love him. But this particular weekend is not quite as strong as his earlier efforts," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box-office tracker Media By Numbers LLC.

    The New Line Cinema film, starring Ferrell as the owner of a fictional basketball franchise, is considered as his poorest debuts ever as a lead star, comparing his 2006 NASCAR parody "Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," which opened at 47 million dollars, and last year's figure skating comedy "Blades of Glory," which earned 33 million dollars in its first weekend.

    Analysts said "Semi-Pro" suffered because it was released during a normally slow season, and was marked with a restrictive "R" rating, which requires viewers under 17 to be accompanied by an adult.

    The last week's top-ranked movie, "Vantage Point," fell to No. 2 with 13 million dollars in estimated sales, followed by "The Spiderwick Chronicles" at No. 3 with 8.75 million dollars.

    (Agencies)