Primetime Ratings: ABC Thrives on NBA Finals

By Michael Malone
( Broadcasting & Cable )
published

ABC crushed all comers Thursday with the NBA finals, riding Game 1 of Warriors-Cavaliers to a landslide 4.3 in viewers 18-49 across prime, per the Nielsen overnights, and an 18 share. In second was NBC at 0.9/4.

The Warriors won the game in overtime. The Jimmy Kimmel pre-game rated a 2.5 and NBA Countdown did a 3.0. The game itself rated a 5.1.

Last year’s Game 1, also featuring Golden State and Cleveland, scored a 5.9.

NBC had repeats of America’s Got Talent and World of Dance.

CBS weighed in at 0.8/3 with repeated comedies, then a SWAT rerun at 10.

Fox was at 0.5/2, with repeats of MasterChef and Beat Shazam.

Univision too did a 0.5/2 while Telemundo rated a 0.4/2.

The CW posted a 0.2/1 with repeats of Supernatural and Black Lightning.

Michael Malone
Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.