Broadcast networks are the place to be for prime-time competitions – if little else.
Nine of the 20 most-watched programs on the networks last week involved some sort of game, from the Boston Celtics clinching the National Basketball Association title to the eager guys seeking a date on “The Bachelorette,” according to Nielsen Media Research. ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox are heading into their slowest weeks of the year.
Disney's rollout of the new kids' movie “Camp Rock” was the week's biggest event, shown to a total of 16.1 million people over three networks – the Disney Channel, ABC Family and ABC – on three nights.
For the week, NBC averaged 6.5 million viewers (4.2 rating, 7 share). CBS had 6.4 million viewers (4.3, 8), Fox 6.1 million (3.8, 7), ABC 5.4 million (3.6, 6), the CW 1.7 million (1.1, 2), My Network TV 1.2 million (0.8, 1) and ION Television 330,000 (0.2, 0).
Among Spanish-language networks, Univision led with 3.8 million viewers (1.9, 3), Telemundo had 950,000 (0.6, 1), TeleFutura had 530,000 (0.3, 1) and Azteca had 100,000 (0.1, 0).
NBC's “Nightly News” topped the evening newscasts with an average of 8 million viewers (5.5, 12). ABC's “World News” was second with 7 million (5, 11) and the “CBS Evening News” had 5.7 million viewers (3.9, 8).
A ratings point represents 1,128,000 households, or 1 percent of the nation's estimated 112.8 million TV homes. The share is the percentage of in-use televisions tuned to a given show.
Here are the prime-time ratings as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for June 16-22:
1. NBA Finals, Game 6. ABC
2. “America's Got Talent,” NBC
3. “60 Minutes,” CBS
4. “Two and a Half Men,” CBS
5. “So You Think You Can Dance” (Thursday), Fox
6. “So You Think You Can Dance” (Wednesday), Fox
7. “Deal or No Deal” (Tuesday), NBC
8. “House,” Fox
9. “Deal or No Deal” (Wednesday), NBC
10. “Hell's Kitchen,” Fox
11. “Dateline,” NBC
12. “Million Dollar Password,” CBS
13. “CSI: NY,” CBS
14. “CSI: Miami,” CBS
15. “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” CBS
16. “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?,” Fox
17. “Cold Case,” CBS
17. “Criminal Minds,” CBS
19. “Bones,” Fox
20. “The Bachelorette,” ABC
