ABC is averaging a total audience delivery of 17.99 million viewers to the NBA Finals to date. The net's TV-only figure is 17.88 million viewers headed into Game 4 of the Warriors-Cavaliers series on Friday night. That figure is down 8% from 19.51 million viewers through three games last year, but up 1% from the same point of the ’16 Finals (17.71 million viewers). The ’15 Finals through three games were averaging 18.6 million viewers (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
FOLLOW THE STREAM: Conference USA announced a "multiyear deal with ESPN on Thursday that will expand on the league package of events distributed on streaming platforms." In Texas, Brett Vito noted ESPN will "carry more than 175 C-USA events on ESPN3 and ESPN+." C-USA "already has partnerships with CBS, Stadium and Facebook." The move to streaming is an "integral part of C-USA’s media strategy that has evolved over the last few years" (DENTON RECORD-CHRONICLE, 6/8).
CALL ON THE INVASION: PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Michael David Smith noted the Rams are trying to "attract disaffected fans from San Diego" by partnering with San Diego-based XEPRS-AM. Rams GM Les Snead said, "We can't wait to invade San Diego." It is "easy to envision the Rams becoming more popular in San Diego than the Chargers" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 6/7).
HANGING THEM UP: In Boston, Chad Finn notes NPR's Bill Littlefield is "retiring" from his show "Only A Game" after 25 years. The show originates on Boston’s WBUR-FM and "airs on more than 250 stations nationwide, the hourlong program reaching more than 400,000 listeners each week." It "remains the only nationally syndicated radio sports program based in Boston." WBUR is "conducting a nationwide search to find his successor" (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/8).
