Despite Two Lopsided Outcomes, NBA Finals On ABC Seeing Best Viewership Since '98

The NBA Finals on ABC are averaging 19.19 million viewers after two lopsided contests, but that figure is still pacing ahead of the last two Cavaliers-Warriors NBA Finals and is the best average to start an NBA Finals since the Michael Jordan-led Bulls won the title in '98. The two-game average is up 5% from 18.34 million viewers for the first two games last year, and up 4% from 18.52 million viewers in '15. Sunday night's Cavs-Warriors Game 2 finished with 19.68 million viewers, marking the best Game 2 since '98. The Warriors beat the Cavs by 33 in Game 2 last year, with that matchup drawing 17.49 million viewers. Game 2 in '15, which went to overtime, drew 19.17 million viewers (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).

LEFT IN THE DARK: DSLREPORTS.com's Karl Bode noted customers of Dish Network's Sling TV OTT service were "frustrated by a major outage" during Game 1 of the Finals on Thursday. Sling only carries ABC's affiliates in "around a half-dozen markets due to licensing restrictions," so the service had "promised viewers would be able to watch the game on ESPN3." However, Sling customers that "tried to view the game were greeted with error warnings." Sling "resolved the problems" after the game had ended (DSLREPORTS.com, 6/5).

EVERY ROSE HAS ITS THORN: ESPN will carry the 30-minute pilot episode of Jalen Rose’s show that ABC passed on last month. ESPN will air “Jalen vs Everybody” tonight at 7:30pm ET following a 30-minute “First Take” special. “First Take” originally was supposed to be an hour tonight, but ESPN shortened it to 30 minutes to accommodate Rose’s show. The show follows Rose around as he balances his TV career with the responsibilities of being a single dad. Rose, who stars in and produces the series, is on site during the NBA Finals for ESPN as a studio analyst for “NBA Countdown” (John Ourand, Staff Writer). In Chicago, Phil Thompson notes Rose "plays the foil" for Kobe Bryant in a recent promo for the show. The latest bit with Bryant plays off the game in '06 when Bryant "hung 81 points on Rose, then a Raptor." The commercial sets up Rose for an accidental restaurant encounter with Bryant, who "orders 81 olives for his vodka martini and just stares at Rose, who can only respond with a hang-dog expression." Rose has been "game for making jokes or being the butt of them before," letting Thunder G Russell Westbrook "zing him in a Foot Locker commercial or whipping out Wolverine claws in the office in an ESPN spot" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/6). In Michigan, Brendan Quinn noted the boost Rose's show "didn't get in terms of a major traditional commercial broadcast, it might get from a sharp promotional commercial" (MLIVE.com, 6/5).