The NBA FINALS dunked on everyone else.
DEMOGRAPHIC DETAIL: For each broadcast program (or hour segment), the chart below displays preliminary key advertiser demographics (adult 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 ratings), audience skews (women 18-49, men 18-49 and adults 50+ shares) and total viewership (thousands of people over the age of 2).
Ratings analysis and comparisons follow the chart.
ABC: Game 1 of the NBA FINALS averaged a 6.0 adult 18-49 rating in the fast nationals, probably headed for a 7.4 adult 18-49 rating live+same day in the official nationals later today (when the west coast viewing of this live telecast is properly counted). Last year’s Game 1 (also Cleveland and Golden State) scored a 5.6 adult 18-49 rating in the fast nationals and a 6.9 adult 18-49 official rating live+same day. The evening began with the network’s usual pregame JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE mini-episode, which tied the preliminary number for last year’s pre-Game 1 episode at 2.7.
CW: The economics of BEAUTY & THE BEAST have always had very little to do with the show’s performance on the air, and the final season began with a dreadful 0.2, tying the rerun of LEGENDS OF TOMORROW that preceded it.
NBC: The mistitled STRONG ended its run down 0.1 to 0.6. The network burned off 2 of the remaining hours of the canceled GAME OF SILENCE (the finale airs out of timeslot on Sunday) at 0.4/0.5, down from 0.6 for the last episode 2 weeks ago.
FOX: BONES was steady at 0.9, and AMERICAN GRIT actually managed a 0.2 gain to 0.7, even though it aired against the NBA game.
CBS: Reruns, naturally topped by the 1.5 for THE BIG BANG THEORY.
The networks are more or less taking tonight off, offering a Saturday level of original programming. However, Cinemax will hope to make a splash with its new horror thriller OUTCAST.
COMPARISONS TO SIMILAR NIGHTS: Preliminary adult 18-49 ratings versus the same night last year and same night last week.
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