ABC earned a 15.0 overnight Nielsen rating for last night's NBA Finals Game Six from 8:00-10:45pm ET, which saw the Mavericks clinch their first ever NBA title with a 105-95 win over the Heat. The 15.0 overnight marks ABC's best NBA Finals Game Six ever and is up 22% from a 12.3 rating for Lakers-Celtics Game Six last year, which aired on a Tuesday night. That series went to seven games. Last night's telecast is also up 35% from an 11.1 overnight for the clinching Heat-Mavericks Game Six in '06. The telecast peaked during the final quarter hour of the telecast with a 20.9 rating. Dallas-Ft. Worth earned a 39.8 local rating, the net's best NBA rating ever in the market. Miami-Ft. Lauderdale earned a 36.2 local rating. Game Six was the top program of the night and led ABC to a win among all nets in primetime. NBA Finals games have now been the top-rated program of the night for 25 straight games (Austin Karp, THE DAILY).
ALL EYES ON THE KING: In N.Y., Bob Raissman wrote there is "absolutely no doubt the healthy ratings" for the Mavericks-Heat Finals on ABC "has plenty to do" with criticism surrounding Heat F LeBron James' play during the series. Prior to Game Six, Raissman wrote, "This is not only bringing casual fans to the broadcasts, but has established a pattern of hype that's building on the audience that would've showed up no matter the participants" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/12). In Phoenix, Bob Young wrote, "Love him or loathe him, it's James who has made the playoffs and the Finals so compelling. A lot of people are tuning in just hoping to see James fail, but it isn't universal. ... Thing is, both factions are watching, delivering terrific ratings" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 6/12).
PLAYING FAVORITES? In Dallas, Barry Horn writes under the header, "For ABC Crew, Mavericks Were An Afterthought." Horn: "I invite anyone who watched the first few minutes of the fourth quarter of the final NBA game of the season to tell me that the ABC broadcast crew wasn’t focusing on one team -- the Heat" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 6/13). In N.Y., Peter Vecsey wrote there was "another distorted media love-fest" for James this series, despite his "imperfect performance." Vecsey: "Before Game 5 imploded faster than a Newt Gingrich campaign, and the Mavericks -- remember them? They're in the Finals, too -- reversed momentum and seized a 3-2 lead, ABC's three commentators raved about LeBron's triple double, gushed about his ingenious passes and commended his defense" (N.Y. POST, 6/12). The N.Y. DAILY NEWS' Raissman wrote ABC's team of Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson normally bring "consistency to the broadcast," and that "made their performance in the fourth quarter of Game 4 hard to understand." Raissman: "The trio ignored James playing the role of Invisible Man. ... They just didn't spend much time talking about James" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/12).
SOME THINGS JUST NOT RIGHT: The Warriors named Jackson their new head coach during the Finals, and while he finished his duties as an ABC analyst, the N.Y. TIMES' Richard Sandomir wrote, "Does this look right? Mark Jackson is an ABC analyst for the NBA finals and the coach of the Golden State Warriors. Can one man do that? Should he? Shouldn’t there be a panel of wise men to decide this?" Sandomir added, "In sports TV, who is this hurting?" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/12). Meanwhile, in Denver, Dusty Saunders wrote, "As a TV sports attraction, the NBA Finals had it all -- superb camera work by ESPN, strong announcing and analysis and marquee personalities. ... But I would have asked for something more: halftime commentary from Charles Barkley." The ABC/ESPN studio team "produced solid food for thought." But the "Barkley Bite would have added even more drama to the telecasts because of his season-long anti-Miami attitude" (DENVER POST, 6/13).
MAYBE IT'S A DISCOUNT SPECIAL: Miami Herald columnist Greg Cote reports Macy's has an ad in today's Miami Herald that "congratulates Heat for 2011 championship" (TWITTER.com, 6/13).
