ABC earned a 14.1 overnight rating Thursday night for the Cavaliers’ 115-101 Game 6 win over the Warriors in the NBA Finals, down 11% from a 15.9 for the comparable matchup last year, when the Warriors clinched the title. That game, which was ABC’s highest-rated Game 6 on record, was played on a Tuesday night. Last night’s rating also is down 4% from a 14.7 three years ago for Heat-Spurs Game 6, which went to OT on a Tuesday night. Last night’s game peaked at a 16.7 rating between 11:30-11:45pm ET, and is expected to give ABC a primetime win for the 54th consecutive time in which it airs a Finals game. Cleveland-Akron led all local markets with a 44.3 rating, followed by S.F.-Oakland-San Jose with a 34.9. Sunday night will mark the fourth time ABC has had a Game 7 since it acquired NBA rights prior to the ’02-03 season (Karp & Carpenter, THE DAILY).
CRYING FOUL: In N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy too often "speaks as if he wants to make a splash, comes across as bold." He thereby "forces himself" on broadcasts. Cavaliers F LeBron James during the first half of Game 5, while "driving toward the hoop, lowered his shoulder and shoved" Warriors C Anderson Varejao to the ground. Van Gundy during the broadcast said, "It was (an offensive foul). But if I'm the referee, I agree. I can't, I gotta know that he's not tricking me. And no, he's falling backwards. Stand up and play!" Van Gundy "clearly saw it both ways." Mushnick: "It was an offensive foul, but the fact that Varejao, after the contact, fell, made it what? Not an offensive foul?" (N.Y. POST, 6/17).
STEELE BEAM: DIME magazine's Martin Rickman profiled ESPN "NBA Countdown" host Sage Steele, who has "gotten more comfortable as she's gotten more reps." Steele "admittedly talks too fast," but she is "seeing openings to interject her own thoughts and stats in the broadcast, keeping Jalen Rose and Doug Collins on topic or knowing when to let them go off, and she's tackling tough interviews." There has been "a lot of change over the years for 'Countdown' which hasn't helped consistency, but Steele seems more entrenched in her role than ever there, and she's improved because of it" (DIMEMAG.com, 6/16).
MORE EVERYTHING: SPORTING NEWS' Michael McCarthy reported ESPN is "devoting more programming hours, more talent, more everything" to its NBA coverage. ESPN Senior VP/"SportsCenter" & News Rob King said, "We do think the NBA is right up there with the NFL and college football as the most popular content that our fans seek and spend time with." NBA President & Exec Producer of Content Danny Meiseles said ESPN's coverage has "contributed to the rising popularity" of the league. McCarthy noted when ESPN's new NBA rights deal tips off this summer for the '16-17 season, the net "is planning more games, more shows and more content." ESPN/ABC will "carry 10 additional NBA games bringing the regular season total to 100." ESPN will also "televise 25 Summer League games in July to increase the NBA's year-round presence." Going into next season, ESPN will "have four studio shows devoted" to the NBA: "The Jump," "NBA Countdown," "NBA Tonight" and "NBA Coast to Coast." Rachel Nichols' "The Jump" will "only air during the regular season and NBA Playoffs." ESPN's new "Saturday Night NBA on ABC" game package "kicked off this January and will continue under the new deal" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 6/16).
