NBA DOMINATES WEEK’S TV RATINGS

The biggest stars on television last week were not actors but Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics as the NBA finals dominated the ratings and gave ABC a rare overall win for the week in total audience and adults 18-49. The huge audience for the games also gave ABC the opportunity to plug its new summer shows like Wipeout, The Gates, and Scoundrels, which debut next week. In addition to its primetime wins, ABC drew big numbers for its daytime coverage of the World Cup, with Saturday’s match between the U.S. and England averaging 13 million viewers. (Another 4.1 million watched on Spanish-language network Univision.) For the week, ABC led with an average 4.9 rating and a 9 share. CBS was second with a 4.7/9. NBC and Fox were tied with a 3.2/6.

The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research:1. NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics (Game 5), ABC, 10.8/18; 2. NBA Finals (Game 4), ABC, 9.9/18; 3. NBA Finals (Game 3)), ABC, 9.6/16; 4. NCIS, CBS, 7.5/13; 5. America’s Got Talent (Tuesday), NBC, 7.4/12; 6. Glee, Fox, 6.3/10; 6. NCIS: Los Angeles, CBS, 6.3/10; 8. Two and a Half Men, CBS, 6.2/10; 9. The Mentalist, CBS, 6.1/11; 10. 60 Minutes, CBS, 5.8/11; 10. (Tie) The Big Bang Theory, CBS, 5.8/9.