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    NBA Finals ratings up from 2020; Nielsen week in review

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1080 Views
    Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) shoots over Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker in Game 3 of basketball's NBA Finals, Sunday, July 11, 2021, in Milwaukee. (Jonathan Daniel/Pool Photo via AP)

    By David Bauder, Media Writer

    NEW YORK (AP) --

    The NBA Finals has gained some, but not all, of its audience back after last year's trip to the pandemic bubble.

    The first three games of the championship match between the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks averaged just about 9 million viewers, the Nielsen company said.

    That's up 41% from the 6.38 million who watched the first three games of last year's series between the L.A. Lakers and Miami Heat. The 2020 series was held in the odd time of late September and October and played without live audiences due to COVID-19 restrictions.

    This year's series is close to normal in timing, and live audiences have returned. Compared to the pre-COVID 2019 series where Toronto beat Golden State, this year's audience is down 34%, Nielsen said.

    Most events tend to lose viewers from year to year, with the increased choices that consumers have. The 2019 series also featured the well-known Golden State Warriors, who were competing in their fifth straight Finals.

    The Finals helped ABC dominate the primetime ratings, as the network averaged 4.6 million viewers for the week. NBC had 2.9 million, CBS had 2.7 million, Univision had 1.8 million, Fox had 1.7 million, Ion Television had 1.1 million and Telemundo had 1 million.

    Fox News Channel led the cable networks, averaging 2.02 million viewers in prime time. HGTV had 1.25 million, MSNBC had 1.23 million, Hallmark had 880,000 and History had 842,000.

    Evening news ratings were not immediately made available by Nielsen.

    For the week of July 5-11, the 20 most-watched shows, their networks and viewerships:

    1. NBA Finals, Game 2: Milwaukee at Phoenix, ABC, 9.38 million.
    2. NBA Finals, Game 3: Phoenix at Milwaukee, ABC, 9.02 million.
    3. NBA Finals, Game 1: Milwaukee at Phoenix, ABC, 8.56 million.
    4. "America's Got Talent," NBC, 7.24 million.
    5. "60 Minutes," CBS, 6.57 million.
    6. "NBA Post-Game Show" (Sunday), ABC, 4.94 million.
    7. "Big Brother" (Wednesday), CBS, 4.25 million.
    8. "The $100,000 Pyramid," ABC, 3.99 million.
    9. "NCIS," CBS, 3.85 million.
    10. "Press Your Luck," ABC, 3.78 million.
    11. "Big Brother" (Sunday), CBS, 3.76 million.
    12. "Young Sheldon," CBS, 3.59 million.
    13. "FBI," CBS, 3.57 million.
    14. "The Bachelorette," ABC, 3.52 million.
    15. NHL Stanley Cup Final, Game 5: Montreal at Tampa Bay, NBC, 3.51 million.
    16. "FBI: Most Wanted," CBS, 3.31 million
    17. "Tucker Carlson Tonight" (Thursday), Fox News, 3.23 million.
    18. "NBA Countdown" (Thursday), ABC, 3.22 million.
    19. "Tucker Carlson Tonight" (Tuesday), Fox News, 3.15 million.
    20. "The Neighborhood," CBS, 3.11 million.

    Tags:NBA FinalsNielsen



    India’s legendary filmmaker Shyam Benegal dies at age 90

    Tuesday, December 24, 2024
    Indian film directors Shyam Benegal, right, is seen during a discussion on Indian Cinema in Hyderabad, India, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A, File)

    Shyam Benegal, a renowned Indian filmmaker known for pioneering a new wave cinema movement that tackled social issues in the 1970s, has died after suffering from chronic kidney disease. He was 90.

    His contribution to cinema was recognized as a director, editor and screenwriter. He was also credited with a new genre of filmmaking.

    Benegal passed away on Monday at Mumbai's Wockhardt Hospital, and his cremation will take place on Tuesday, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, citing his daughter Piya.

    "Benegal had been suffering from chronic kidney disease for several years but it had gotten very bad. That's the reason for his death," Piya said.

    Many paid tribute to the legendary filmmaker on social media platform X.

    Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt wrote that Benegal told stories without pretense. "They were raw and real, about the struggles of ordinary people. His films had craft and conviction."

    "Deeply saddened by the passing of Shyam Benegal, whose storytelling had a profound impact on Indian cinema. His works will continue to be admired by people from different walks of life," India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.

    He was a mentor to top Indian actors, including Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, and Om Puri who made their mark in Bollywood's popular cinema as well.

    "I have lost my foster father, a man to whom I owe more than I can say," posted Naseeruddin Shah.

    "Shyam Benegal was not just a legend; he was a visionary who redefined storytelling and inspired generations," said actor Manoj Bajpayee.

    Benegal came into the limelight in the 1970s, with a series of films that challenged mainstream Bollywood. His films Ankur (1974), Nishant (1975), Manthan (1976), and Bhumika (1977)... Read More

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