NETWORK UPDATE: Game 5 of the NBA FINALS adjusted up to 6.8 in final ratings, 0.8 above its preliminary number. (The 2013 Finals lasted to Game 7, and adjusted all the way up to a 10.6 rating for that game, which is why networks don’t root for teams, they root for long series.) The primetime JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE and NBA COUNTDOWN adjusted down to 1.1/1.4.
SATURDAY CABLE: The 2d episode of POWER (Starz) was up 0.1 to 0.4 for the combination of its 9 and 10PM airings, although this episode wasn’t available in advance on VOD/online, and didn’t air on any of the Starz-affiliated networks. The season’s next-to-last ORPHAN BLACK (BBCAmerica) was down a tiny 0.02 to 0.25, while THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW fell 0.05 to 0.07, and the season finale of IN THE FLESH stayed at 0.02. As detailed in the weekend WORLD CUP SKEDBALL, the highest rated shows of the day were the Italy vs. England (1.75) and Ivory Coast vs. Japan (1.44) matches.
SUNDAY CABLE: The season finale of GAME OF THRONES (HBO) was up 0.1 from last week, but not quite a record at 3.8 (although it was a record for the show’s finales, and up an amazing full ratings point from last year’s finale, something that doesn’t happen to shows in their 4th years on the air). LAST WEEK TONIGHT didn’t get the benefit of running after the premiere airing of the THRONES finale, having to wait until after the 10:15PM rerun (0.7 rating), and it actually dipped 0.1 from last week to 0.4. On Showtime, PENNY DREADFUL was down slightly to 0.29, NURSE JACKIE inched up to 0.21, as did CALIFORNICATION at 0.14. The news didn’t get any better for HALT AND CATCH FIRE on AMC, which slipped a bit more to 0.20. SALEM (WGN America) lost some steam, dropping 0.05 to 0.16. On Lifetime, DEVIOUS MAIDS and DROP DEAD DIVA were steady at 0.6/0.5. Reality-show viewers continued to know what they liked, as KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS (E!) held even at 1.1, while a REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA special (Bravo) and MARRIED TO MEDICINE were each down 0.1 to 0.9/0.7.
ABC is sorry to see the NBA Finals done after just 5 games.
ABC: The 5th and last game of this year’s NBA FINALS had a preliminary 6.0 rating, which should go up by a point or so in final numbers. That was up 0.4 from the preliminary rating for last year’s Game 5, but nowhere close to last year’s 7th game, which was at 8.7 in early numbers. The primetime JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE and NBA COUNTDOWN are currently at 2.1/2.5, but due to come down quite a bit when time zone adjustments are made.
NBC: BELIEVE ended its run at 0.7, down 0.2 from its last airing. CRISIS had its last Sunday broadcast (the final 2 hours will air next Saturday), also at 0.7, which was down 0.1 from last time. Both shows tied their series lows. The night started with a 1.1 for overrun U.S. OPEN TOURNAMENT coverage, then 0.7 for an AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR rerun.
FOX: The final penultimate episode of ENLISTED tied last week’s 0.4. The night’s highest-rated rerun was 1.1 for FAMILY GUY.
CBS: Reruns, led by 0.8 for 60 MINUTES.
The broadcast networks have mostly fresh episodes of their summer programming tonight. On cable, ABC Family debuts its summer Monday line-up, featuring season premieres of THE FOSTERS and SWITCHED AT BIRTH.
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