Tony award: Season finale of The Sopranos rules Sunday night ratings but doesn't set record
06/12/07 12:59 PM
By ED BARK
HBO's The Sopranos bowed out with 11.9 million viewers nationally Sunday night, easily outpointing Game 2 of the NBA Finals and almost outdrawing all of the week's prime-time programs.
Only last Tuesday's two-hour second season premiere of NBC's America's Got Talent had a bigger audience haul. Originating from Dallas, although with no contestants from the city and very few from Texas, Talent lured 13 million viewers according to Nielsen Media Research. The Sopranos slipped into the No. 2 spot, ahead of CBS' Two and a Half Men repeat (11.3 million viewers).
The Sopranos didn't break its own record, though. Season 4's premiere episode drew 13.4 million viewers to hold that mark. But Sunday's end game had the most viewers since the Season 5 premiere's 12.1 million. The June 3rd next-to-last episode drew 8.02 million viewers.
ABC's Sunday night San Antonio-Cleveland game averaged 8.6 million viewers to place 15th for the week of June 4-10. CBS' telecast of the Tony Awards, which also in part competed against The Sopranos, finished 29th with 6.2 million viewers.
HBO's The Sopranos bowed out with 11.9 million viewers nationally Sunday night, easily outpointing Game 2 of the NBA Finals and almost outdrawing all of the week's prime-time programs.
Only last Tuesday's two-hour second season premiere of NBC's America's Got Talent had a bigger audience haul. Originating from Dallas, although with no contestants from the city and very few from Texas, Talent lured 13 million viewers according to Nielsen Media Research. The Sopranos slipped into the No. 2 spot, ahead of CBS' Two and a Half Men repeat (11.3 million viewers).
The Sopranos didn't break its own record, though. Season 4's premiere episode drew 13.4 million viewers to hold that mark. But Sunday's end game had the most viewers since the Season 5 premiere's 12.1 million. The June 3rd next-to-last episode drew 8.02 million viewers.
ABC's Sunday night San Antonio-Cleveland game averaged 8.6 million viewers to place 15th for the week of June 4-10. CBS' telecast of the Tony Awards, which also in part competed against The Sopranos, finished 29th with 6.2 million viewers.