MARK CUBAN: INDIE CABLE NETS BEING SQUEEZED OUT BY CONGLOMS

Increasing demands by the broadcast networks for “retransmission consent” compensation are making things ever more difficult for independent channels to land cable outlets, according to Mark Cuban, who owns HDNet — the home of Dan Rather Reports — and HDNet Movies. Cuban, in an interview with TheWrap.com, noted that the major media conglomerates have traditionally […]

A BAD WEEK FOR LEBRON IS GREAT FOR ABC

ABC’s telecasts of the NBA finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat dominated the primetime ratings for the second week in a row among total viewers and those 18-49. Along with Monday’s The Bachelorette, the telecasts easily gave ABC the No. 1 spot on the Nielsen top ten list. But NBC’s talent shows, […]

BASKETBALL A SLAM-DUNK RATINGS WINNER

The first week of the summer season arrived last week, but thanks to the NBA Finals and a couple of talent contests, it wasn’t all reruns dominating the Nielsen top ten list. Thursday’s Game 2 between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat attracted 15.5 million viewers and topped the list. Games 3 and 1 […]

RATINGS FOR NBA FINALS GAME 3 DOWN FROM 2010

Game 3 of The NBA Finals, featuring the Miami Heat against the Dallas Mavericks, averaged an estimated 13.58 million viewers Sunday night, according to overnight Nielsens. (Preliminary ratings for live sports events can sometimes be substantially revised once final figures are reported.) Sunday’s result compares with the 15.72 million viewers who watched Game 3 of […]

NBA PLAYOFFS: LOW SCORES; HIGH RATINGS

The scoring may have been low for TNT’s coverage of the Boston Celtics’ 87-85 win over the New York Knicks on Sunday. But ratings were up a whopping 53 percent over the comparable telecast a year ago when the Dallas Mavericks beat the San Antonio Spurs 100-94. According to Nielsen Research, the telecast attracted 6 […]