ABC's Ratings For NBA FINALS Continue On Downward Path

(From Sports Business Daily)

ABC earned an 8.5/14 overnight NIELSEN RATING for its coverage of GAME TWO of the PISTONS/SPURS NBA FINALS Sunday night, down 30.9% from a 12.3/20 for PISTONS/LAKERS GAME TWO last year, but up 16.4% from a 7.3/13 for NETS/SPURS in 2003.

Sunday night's game posted a 43.4/59 in San Antonio, 20.9% higher than a 35.9/55 in the market for GAME TWO in 2003. GAME TWO drew a 31.2/45 in Detroit, down 17.0% from a 37.6/53 for GAME TWO of the PISTONS/LAKERS series last year. Last Thursday night's GAME ONE earned a 7.3/13 final rating, down 25.5% from a 9.8/17 for PISTONS/LAKERS GAME TWO last year.

In New York, BOB RAISSMAN reported GAME ONE marks "the second-lowest rated GAME ONE ever for an NBA FINALS" in primetime. In its statement reporting the 8.8 overnight for GAME ONE, ABC "highlighted the fact that the rating was '9% higher than the last non-Lakers FINALS GAME ONE.'"

Raissman -- "ABC's reaction to GAME ONE ratings should embarrass the entire league. What good is the overall NBA product to ABC if all the honchos there do is hope the Lakers make it to THE FINALS? Of course, often (NBA Commissioner DAVID) STERN too has been heard talking about how the Lakers can drive ratings. So maybe he applauds ABC's propaganda."

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's ANDREW WALLENSTEIN reported GAME ONE on Thursday night drew 10.6 million total viewers and earned a 4.4/14 rating in adults 18-49, down 37% in the demo from last year's PISTONS/LAKERS GAME ONE (15.4 million total viewers, 7.0/19 rating). A 90-minute repeat of CBS' CSI at 9:30 pm ET drew more viewers (12.7 million total viewers) than the game. For the night, ABC averaged 8.3 million viewers and a 3.4/11 rating in the demo to CBS’ 9.6 million, 3.1/9.

Pistons coach LARRY BROWN criticized the pregame entertainment before GAME TWO, saying, "(Spurs Coach GREGG POPOVICH) told me he had about four guys almost trip over cords. We had a couple of guys almost stumble off the platform, and somebody got mad at me because I was in the way of a cable. I don’t think it had any effect on the game at all. I just think it takes away from our sport."

In Milwaukee, TOM ENLUND wrote, "Thursday before GAME ONE -- the player introductions turned into a lengthy, gaudy pregame show that left the players a bit disgruntled." The pregame show "lasted so long that the players had to go out and warm up again for a few minutes before the game began."

Pistons Center BEN WALLACE -- "I thought it was unnecessary. It was a little too much."

In Houston, DAVID BARRON notes THE FINALS in 2003 started at 8:20 pm ET, while this year's are at 9:20 pm ET, which "has to wreak havoc on East Coast viewership without a corresponding bump from the West Coast, which, in the absence of the Lakers, probably doesn't care about this one. The 45-minute pregame show is a problem, too."

ABC's MICHELE TAFOYA, during a second quarter interview with actress EVA LONGORIA, did not ask about Spurs Guard TONY PARKER, who she is dating. Tafoya closed the interview by saying, "Guys I was told very strictly before that interview I was not to ask about Tony Parker, so out of respect to Eva, I did not."

The DETROIT FREE PRESS also notes that ABC's pregame show aired "highlight after highlight" of GINOBILI and adds, "ABC is officially in love. It was an annoyingly SPURS-SLANTED show."

In San Antonio, L.A. LOREK noted this year's FINALS "marks the first time the NBA is giving its fans access to daily NBA video clips on VERIZON WIRELESS phones." NBA Senior VP/Interactive Services BRENDA SPOONEMORE said, "As each new media develops, we develop along with it."

ESPN Senior VP/New Media JON KOSNER noted that for THE FINALS, the NBA and ESPN have created an online feature called "THE VOICE OF THE FAN that allows fans to create and post their own animated messages to the ESPN.com Web site."