Game 2 of the NBA Finals scored a 13.9 national rating and a
27 share, an increase of 16% over Game 2 last year. It was the
highest rated Finals Game since the '93 Bulls/ Suns series, which
garnered a 14.6/29. Through two telecasts, NBC's NBA Finals
average was 15.3/29, up 14% from last year. The two-game average
is the second highest in NBA history, again topped only by '93
(NBC). NEWSDAY's Steve Zipay notes that NBC, which packages ads
for Games 1-5 and then sells Games 6 and 7 separately, "has to be
disappointed that the series has no shot at going the distance"
(NEWSDAY, 6/11). NBC Sports President Dick Ebersol told USA
TODAY: "The NBA on NBC will still make money. Our income may be
down a little. Everybody budgets a championship series to go
five games. So after four years of longer series, we could have
two consecutive four game sweeps. That's God doing his
averaging, and he's been, as always, a very beneficent, all-
giving, all-loving God because he gave us the NBA in the first
place" (Rudy Martzke, USA TODAY, 6/11).
SLAP SHOTS: The L.A. TIMES' Helen Elliott asked NHL
Commissioner Gary Bettman about the NHL's ratings compared to
other sports: "The issue is not whether or not we're in a horse
race and whether our ratings are better than the other three
major professional sports on TV. The issue is, are we growing?
In five years we can look at it again, and if we continue to grow
the way we are, I'll be happy" (Montreal GAZETTE, 6/11). Bettman
also said the NHL's marketing department is getting "positive
feedback" on Fox's computer-enhanced puck (CP/Toronto GLOBE &
MAIL, 6/11).
