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ABC Rebounds With Cavs-Warriors Game 2 Rating, With Finals Now Pacing Ahead Of '16

Game 2 of the NBA Finals posted an increase in overnight ratings despite a 19-point win by the Warriors over the Cavaliers last night. The Warriors' 132-113 win earned a 12.7 overnight on ABC, up 7% from an 11.8 overnight for Game 2 last year, which saw the Warriors win by 33 points. The 12.7 also is just below a 12.9 rating two years ago for Game 2, which went to overtime and remains ABC's best audience on record for an NBA Finals Game 2. Last night's game peaked at a 14.7 rating from 10:00-10:15pm ET. Through two games, ABC is actually pacing ahead of last year's record-setting figures. The net is averaging a 12.6 overnight after Game 2, up slightly from a 12.5 last year. Last night's telecast will give ABC is 57th straight primetime win when airing an NBA Finals game. Game 2 drew a 32.4 local rating in Cleveland-Akron, while the S.F.-Oakland-San Jose market drew a 31.1 rating. Rounding out the top five markets were Columbus (19.5), Miami-Ft. Lauderdale (17.7) and Memphis (17.5). Meanwhile, WatchESPN again saw new records set for the NBA Finals during Game 2, with new marks in average minute audience, unique viewers and total minutes streamed (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).

BACK & FORTH: In Tampa, Tom Jones writes, "Each night I switch my opinion on the best announcing crew in sports." Jones: "When I'm watching the Stanley Cup playoffs, I'm convinced it's NBC's Doc Emrick, Pierre McGuire and Eddie Olczyk. The next night, I turn on the NBA Finals and believe the best is ABC's Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson." Both crews are "so good, yet so different." McGuire and Olczyk "stick mostly to hockey, especially the X's and O's," while Van Gundy and Jackson "often go off topic." They can "talk strategy but also are a hoot with their conversations." The "best moment of either series so far was Van Gundy not ignoring that Rihanna walked in front of him as they were calling Game 1" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 6/5).

JUMPING JACK FLASH
: ESPN's Rachel Nichols said she wants "The Jump" to make viewers feel “like you’re sitting around talking basketball with your friends.” Nichols, who hosts the NBA-focused show, said, "We want to do it in a smart way, not a yelling kind of way. We want to appeal to hardcore fans and if you’re a casual fan, we want you to feel like you can jump in and catch up.” In San Jose, Chuck Barney noted Nichols "returned to ESPN last year after a three-year stint with Turner Sports." She was "enticed by the idea of hosting her own show -- but only if she wasn’t relegated to a 'Vanna White-like role.'" Nichols: "I wanted to be able to tap into the expertise I’ve built up covering the sport for a long time -- to have an opinion, to be part of the conversation and, as a national show, being part of starting that conversation" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 6/3).

ALL AROUND THE WORLD: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver last night said the Finals give the league an "opportunity to visit with our broadcasters from around the world." He said, "These games are seen in 215 countries and territories. We have hundreds of members of international media on-site here who I generally don't get to see throughout the year. We have a lot of our team executives here, our business partners are here as well. A lot of it is in meetings, just going around, checking in with them." Silver: "We always use that expression, ‘NBA family.’ It’s a coming together of the family. You get to see people that haven’t seen, and the meetings aren’t all necessarily official type meetings, it’s more get-togethers, checking in with people, talking about the league, talking about plans for coming seasons” ("NBA Live at the Finals Pregame, NBA TV, 6/4).

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