How did ABC's competition fare going up against the NBA Finals?
NBC's penultimate episode of recently-renewed drama Hannibal (2 million total viewers, 0.7 rating in adults 18-49) fell to a series low in the advertiser-coveted demographic, dropping 22 percent. An original telecast of Anne Heche comedy Save Me (2.2 million, 0.5) had an even steeper plunge, dipping nearly 30 percent to a series low.
Fox, meanwhile, had better luck against basketball, with Hell's Kitchen (5.1 million, 2.0) dipping about 9 percent in the demo and slipping slightly in viewership (5.1 million vs. 5.3 million) from the previous week. Unscripted effort Does Someone Have to Go? (2.4 million, 0.9) had a steeper 18 percent drop in the demo.
After three games of year-to-year declines, ABC's coverage of game four of the NBA Finals is poised to catch up with last year's. Fast National returns have the game averaging a 5.8 rating among adults 18-49, off just two tenths of a point from last year's preliminary numbers. Adjustments will still see the game go up, with last year's rising to a 7.4 adults rating in finals.
CBS aired reruns of Big Bang Theory (8.3 million, 2.0), Two and a Half Men (6.4 million, 1.3), Person of Interest (6.6 million, 1.0) and Elementary (5.6 million, 1.0). The CW was also in repeats: The Vampire Diaries (869,000, 0.3) and Beauty and the Beast (631,000, 0.2).
On the evening, ABC dominated in the demo, with Fox a distant second with a 1.4. CBS followed with a 1.2, NBC with a 0.6 and The CW with a 0.3. Among total viewers, ABC was No. 1 in primetime with a 11.4 million average, with second-place CBS grabbing nearly half that audience with 6.5 million. Fox was third with 3.8 million, with NBC placing fourth with 2 million.
Michael O'Connell contributed to this report.
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