Lakers-Magic NBA Finals Game Four Overnight Rating Up 4.8%

ABC earned a 10.9 overnight Nielsen rating for the Lakers 99-91 overtime win last night over the Magic in Game Four of the NBA Finals. The figure is up 4.8% from a 10.4 for the comparable Celtics-Lakers Game Four in '08, and up 39.7% from a 7.8 overnight for the clinching Spurs-Cavaliers game Four in '07. The game earned a 27.3 in L.A. and a 26.7 in Orlando. The chart below lists overnight Nielsen ratings for all Lakers NBA Finals Game Fours over the past decade (THE DAILY).

TONE IT DOWN: In Albany, Pete Dougherty writes, "Can't ESPN tone down its hype machine for the NBA Finals? We're not electing a pope, yet there's plenty of smoke blowing on 'SportsCenter,' which seemingly devotes half its show to the Lakers-Magic series. Such coverage didn't happen before Disney ... gained the TV rights" (Albany TIMES-UNION, 6/12).

NEXT STEPS: In L.A., Tom Hoffarth reports ESPN/ABC analyst Mark Jackson has hired CAA Sports to "expedite things" as he considers a "career move that could take him to a pro or college coaching gig." Jackson, as an entry-level coach, has "definitely improved his marketability by using" his TV analyst role to "show what kind of strategy and communication skills he has to offer." Jackson: "I have a great broadcasting job now, and you can't get better than being on the No. 1 team calling an NBA Finals. But at the same time, I'm looking to coach" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 6/12).

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