NETWORK UPDATE: The NBA FINALS climbed to 6.0 in time-zone adjusted ratings, the same as Sunday’s game (but down 0.7 from the adjusted rating for Game 4 in 2013), while the primetime JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE and NBA COUNTDOWN fell to 1.0/1.7. In addition, the 9PM UNDATEABLE slipped 0.1, making that hour a steady pair of 0.9s. The reruns on CW shrank to a barely measurable 0.1/0.1.
THURSDAY CABLE: Cable was led by the 3:30PM (Eastern) telecast of the WORLD CUP on ESPN, with a 1.7 in 18-49s. There’s lots more detail about the World Cup ratings, including comparisons to 2010 numbers, at our WORLD CUP SKEDBALL post. Otherwise, PAWN STARS was on top of original cable programming with a pair of 0.9s (up 0.1 from last week, but still down 0.2 from 2 weeks ago). LOITER SQUAD (Adult Swim) was at 0.7/0.6, down 0.1 from last week. US OPEN golf coverage on ESPN was at 0.7. THE CHALLENGE (MTV) gained 0.1 to 0.7.
Last night, once again it was basketball and then everything else.
ABC: Preliminary numbers have Game 4 of THE NBA FINALS at 5.2, which is up 0.3 from Sunday’s game, but down 0.6 from last year’s Game 4. The number should move up about a point in final ratings this afternoon. JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE and NBA COUNTDOWN are currently at 1.4/2.4, and due to drop around a point this afternoon.
NBC: HOLLYWOOD GAME NIGHT was down 0.1 from last week (which also faced an NBA Finals game) to 1.0. The two UNDATEABLE half hours were at 1.0/0.9, down 0.1 in the 2d half-hour. LAST COMIC STANDING dropped 0.2 to 1.2.
FOX: HELL’S KITCHEN slipped 0.1 to 1.6, while GANG RELATED was steady at 0.8.
CBS: Reruns, led of course by THE BIG BANG THEORY at 2.0–the highest rated non-basketball telecast of the night on any network.
CW: Reruns at 0.2/0.2.
Tonight the focus switches to hockey for Game 5 of the STANLEY CUP FINALS. Only ABC will throw anything new against it, with a fresh WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
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