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Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Wed.-Thurs., June 1-2) -- Game 1 of NBA Finals leaves competiton for dead

By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
ABC scored big-time Thursday night with Game 1 of the star-powered NBA Finals between the defending champ Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Their rematch, won 104-89 by the Warriors and running from 8:11 to 10:35 p.m., averaged 517,015 D-FW viewers and 288,989 in the advertiser-coveted 18-to-49 age range. No pro sports championship lures a higher percentage of “desirable” viewers than the NBA. And anything over 50 percent -- which Game 1 easily exceeded -- is considered exceptional these days.

Last June’s Game 1 of the Finals between Golden State and Cleveland fell considerably short of this year’s with 404,492 total viewers and 214,458 in the 18-to-49 demographic. And that was a much closer overtime game won by the Warriors.

Among the programs airing directly opposite basketball, Fox4’s 9 p.m. local newscast fared the best with 162,895 total viewers. The news and CBS’ 8 p.m. repeat of Mom tied for the runner-up spot among 18-to-49-year-olds with 44,460 apiece.

Jimmy Kimmel’s 7 to 7:30 p.m. pre-game entertainment show drew 113,318 total viewers and 47,636 in the 18-to-49 realm. In both cases, it lost its time slot to CBS’ competing repeat of The Big Bang Theory (respective crowds of 247,884 and 73,041 viewers). The first half of Fox’s Bones also beat Kimmel in total viewers with 191,225).

On Wednesday, the return of NBC’s American Ninja Warrior led all prime-time programming with 212,472 total viewers and 95,271 in the 18-to-49 age range.

Here are the local news derby results for Wednesday and Thursday.

Wednesday -- NBC5 swept the 10 p.m. competitions in total viewers and 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).

The Peacock also won big at 6 a.m. in the 25-to-54 demographic but was edged by the usual frontrunner, Fox4, in total viewers.

Fox4 ran the table at 5 p.m. and added a 6 p.m. win with 25-to-54-year-olds. The station tied CBS11 for the 6 p.m. lead in total viewers.

Thursday -- NBC5 won a downsized three-way 10 p.m. race in both total viewers and with 25-to-54-year-olds.

Fox4 had twin wins at both 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. while also topping the 6 p.m. field in the 25-to-54 demographic. Fox4 and CBS11 tied for the total viewers lead at 6 p.m.

Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net