Sorry, Broadway fans — America would rather watch its best play on the hardcourt than sing and dance on a hardwood stage.
Game 2 of the NBA Finals on ABC — another overtime affair — crushed CBS’ Tony Awards on Sunday night in Nielsen TV ratings. The best-of-Broadway celebration fell 25 percent from last year’s Hugh Jackman-hosted telecast to a new all-time low.
Meanwhile, the second championship contest between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors was up 22 percent from last year’s. The pregame show, “NBA Countdown,” rose 48 percent year-over-year. The primetime tip-off, “Jimmy Kimmel Live Game Night,” rose 23 percent from its comparable special on June 8, 2014.
Due to the nature of live sports, fast nationals for ABC are approximate. This time around, the Cavs took
ABC was first in ratings with a 5.3 rating/18 share in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic and in total viewers with an average of 13.9 million, according to preliminary numbers.
At 7 p.m., the Kimmel special posted a 2.7/11 and 7.9 million viewers. “Countdown” at 7:30 earned a 3.4/13 and 9.3 million viewers.
CBS was second in ratings with a 0.9/3 and in viewers with 6.8 million. At 7, “60 Minutes” had a 0.9/4 and 8.2 million viewers. At 8, the Tony Awards got a 0.9/3 and 6.4 million viewers.
NBC was third in ratings with a 0.7/2 and in viewers with 4.1 million. At 7, “Dateline” received a 0.7/3 and 4.6 million viewers. A “Dateline” special at 8, “My Kid Would Never Do That,” had a 1.0/3 and 5 million viewers. “A.D.: The Bible Continues” at 9 got a 0.7/2 and 4 million viewers. “American Odyssey” at 10 posted a 0.4/1 and 2.6 million viewers.
Telemundo and Fox tied for fourth in ratings, both with a 0.6/2. Telemundo was fourth in total viewers with 1.6 million; Fox was fifth with 1.49 million.
For Fox, following a string of reruns, “Golan the Insatiable” settled for a soft 0.4/1 and 1.2 million viewers.
Univision was sixth in ratings with a 0.5/2 and in viewers with 1.46 million.