ABC earned a 10.0 overnight Nielsen rating for the Spurs' 113-77 win over the Heat in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, down 4% from a 10.4 overnight for Heat-Thunder Game 3 last year, which aired on a Sunday night. Despite the drop, the game marked the 33rd consecutive time an NBA Finals game was primetime TV's most-watched program. Last night's game earned a 37.5 local rating in San Antonio and a 28.4 rating in Miami-Ft. Lauderdale (Austin Karp, Assistant Mananging Editor). In Ft. Lauderdale, Harvey Fialkov wrote it is "hard to imagine a better color analyst than former coach Jeff Van Gundy, who recognized early" that LeBron James was "'living in the paint' and correctly chastised Dwyane Wade for coming off the, 'strong-side corner,' where a red-hot Danny Green burned him with another 3-pointer" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 6/12).
DYNAMIC DUO: BROADCASTING & CABLE's Michael Malone noted the Heat-Spurs NBA Finals matchup means the Miami and San Antonio ABC affiliates in Post-Newsweek's portfolio "would have home teams in the NBA championship." TV execs said that having a home team in a pro sports championship "can mean three-to-five times more revenue for the involved station." One former Miami station GM "estimated 30-second spots in Miami going for $30,000-$40,000; others believed they would be higher." Post-Newsweek also benefits from the stations "sharing resources during the championship, as well as the vast promotional platform a rabidly viewed series will warrant." Miami-based WPLG-ABC offers a free Heat "mobile app and a downloadable 'Eastern Conference Champions' poster adorned with the Heat -- and 'Local10.com' -- logos." San Antonio-based KSAT-ABC's signal airs on the AT&T Center Jumbotron "when the Spurs are playing in Miami." The station is "selling 10-second 'shout-outs,' which sees companies buy time to yell a supportive 'Go Spurs Go!' on the air." KSAT VP & GM Phil Lane is "using the promotional soapbox to tout a new mobile app for the station's thriving 'Good Morning San Antonio' program" (BROADCASTINGCABLE.com, 6/10).
