CBS "pulled out an upset households victory" for the
week of June 7-13 in primetime Nielsen ratings, as NBC lost
the week in homes with "significant" NBA coverage on its
schedule for the "first time in three years," according to
Tom Bierbaum of DAILY VARIETY. NBA primetime telecasts in
May and June have "been lower-rated in [HHs] compared to
what the playoffs were averaging in primetime (pre-Finals)
during each of the previous four NBA seasons." But NBA
games earned the top two ratings in the 18-49 demo, which
was "still strong enough" to help NBC win the week in that
category. Bierbaum adds that while the Pacers-Knicks Game
Six was both the top-rated NBA broadcast this season, it was
the "lowest primetime rating for an NBA conference final
Game 6 in four years" (DAILY VARIETY, 6/16). While DAILY
VARIETY touted CBS's numbers, the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's
Lynette Rice writes that "slam-dunk performances" by NBA
playoff games helped NBC win the week in the 18-49 demo with
a 3.8/13 average rating (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 6/16).
APPLES TO APPLES? USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke notes that
while NBC's 6.5 cumulative playoff rating is off 8% compared
to the first six games of last year's Eastern Conference
Finals, "it's minus 16%" when last year's Game Seven Pacers-
Bulls rating of 19.1 is included (USA TODAY, 6/16). Pilson
Communications' Neal Pilson, on NBC: "They've been spinning
terrific. But I think they're anticipating a 15% decline
and I think it'll be ... in that area" (L.A. TIMES, 6/16).
GETTING WHAT THEY WANT: In Dallas, Marc Stein writes
that NBA Commissioner David Stern and "his friends at NBC
aren't complaining" about the Knicks-Spurs Finals because
"they have the big-market Knicks to ensure good ratings" and
the Spurs "are poised to deliver a feel-good, nice-guys-can-
win finish" to the season (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 6/16).
LOG ON: NBA.com will carry live audio of the NBA Finals
in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Greek,
Mandarin Chinese and Japanese free-of-charge. Also, an
"All-Access Pass" will provide on-the-court digital camera
coverage and the streaming video Internet show, "Samantha,"
will go behind-the-scenes (NBAE).
