NBC's coverage of Game Six of the Pacers-Lakers NBA
Finals on Monday earned a 14.7/26 final national Nielsen
rating, making it the most-watched NBA game since Game Six
of the '98 Bulls-Jazz Finals, also a deciding game, which
drew a 22.3/38. NBC projects that 45 million viewers
watched all or part of Monday's telecast. NBC averaged an
11.6/21 for the six-game series, up 3% from last year's
five-game Knicks-Spurs Finals, which drew an 11.3/21 (NBC).
NBC Sports Chair Dick Ebersol: "From the start of the
season, we've said it's a transition year. Our regular-
season ratings were off 21%, playoffs off 12% and now the
Finals are up. We're clearly moving in the right direction.
Best of all, the Finals exposed some sensational young stars
who will pay off in drawing fans in the years ahead" (Rudy
Martzke, USA TODAY, 6/21). In Boston, Howard Manly writes
that Ebersol "predicted that sagging ratings for the NBA
would improve during the playoffs; he was right" (BOSTON
GLOBE, 6/21). NBC VP/Sports Communications Kevin Sullivan:
"[Game Six] was the highest rating since the Jordan era.
All the doomsday people should take note of that. They
can't say the NBA is still on a slide." In Atlanta, Prentis
Rogers writes that the Game Six rating "does give NBC a much
needed ray of hope for the future" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION,
6/21). In N.Y., Harvey Araton writes that NBA Commissioner
David Stern "was right" when he called this a "transitional
year where the fans are getting to know our new players."
Araton adds that Stern's "marketing machine tried too hard"
with Raptors G/F Vince Carter, "but the league does have a
solid nucleus of young stars" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/21). In
Milwaukee, Michael Bauman writes that with the Lakers' star
power and dynasty potential, "a real post-Michael era may be
dawning. Perhaps the league can move from having a problem
to having a situation" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 6/21).
GOING INSIDE THE NUMBERS: In Boston, Jim Baker writes
that the NBA Finals ratings, "after all its difficulties,
still more than tripled" ABC's four-game coverage of the
Stars-Devils Stanley Cup, 11.6 to 3.7 (BOSTON HERALD, 6/21).
DAILY VARIETY's Rick Kissell writes, "The ratings aren't
like Mike's, but NBC will take them." The Finals "finished
a whopping" 39% behind '98's 18.7 rating, which was the
highest-rated Finals in NBA history. Meanwhile, Game Six
earned a 10.0/29 in adults 18-49, a 10.1/27 in adults 25-54
and a 9.7/30 in adults 18-34. It also drew a 12.3/34 rating
among men 18-49, "the largest for any sporting event since"
Super Bowl XXXIV (DAILY VARIETY, 6/21). In a sidebar,
Kissell writes that with two NBA Finals games and "better-
than-par numbers" for weekend primetime coverage of the U.S.
Open helped push NBC to its third straight weekly win in
both total viewers and adults 18-49 (DAILY VARIETY, 6/21).
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Cynthia Littleton writes that NBC
won the week with averages of 10.5 million total viewers and
a 4.1/13.2 among adults 18-49 (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 6/21).
In DC, Lisa de Moraes labels Tiger Woods and Shaquille
O'Neal among her ratings "winners" for the week (WASH. POST,
6/21). BOFFO VIEWERSHIP IN CITY OF ANGELS: In L.A., Larry
Stewart writes that the 39.2/56 overnight rating in the L.A.
market is the highest rating for a Lakers telecast in the
city "at least" since '87 (L.A. TIMES, 6/21).
PACERS DISPUTE VECSEY REPORT: While "NBA On NBC"
analyst Peter Vecsey reported Monday night that he had it on
"highest authority" that fellow analyst and CBA Owner Isiah
Thomas would be hired to replace outgoing Pacers coach Larry
Bird, Pacers President Donnie Walsh said, "The report's
false. Pete Vecsey's doing that. I think it puts Isiah in
a difficult situation" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 6/21).