Overnight ratings for this past weekend's NBA coverage,
according to Nielsen Sports Marketing Service: Saturday's Game 1
averaged a 4.7 rating and a 15 share across the 33 metered
markets, while Game 2 got a 6.4/18. On Sunday, the Magic-Pistons
got a 6.0/17, Spurs-Suns got a 7.4/18, while the Bulls-Heat got a
9.5/18 (THE DAILY)....In New York, Richard Sandomir examines the
playoff programming strategies of the NBA and NHL. Fox Sports
spokesperson Vince Wladika calls any comparison "apples and
oranges," and urges the NHL in '96 be compared to the NBA in '81
(N.Y. TIMES, 4/30).... Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB bid upwards of 200
million pounds ($310M) for TV rights to British rugby, which are
currently split between BSkyB and the BBC (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER,
4/30). ....Dennis Rodman is featured on tonight's "Dateline NBC,"
with an interview focusing on his night life, sex with Madonna,
and life in the NBA -- which Rodman calls "50% money and 50% sex"
(NBC).... ESPN and ESPN2 begin airing promos for the X Games on
May 1 (ESPN)....Boise-based Diamond Sports unveils its in-arena
fan scoring system in the Great Skate Debate, May 9 on CBS
(Diamond).
