Improved ratings for the NBA Finals last week helped give NBC a solid win for the week, even as viewers for its entertainment reruns disappeared. The basketball contest between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers produced ratings that were 4.3 percent higher than last year and 7 percent higher than the 1999 series (but never approached the numbers garnered in previous years when Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dominated the sport). For the week that ended Sunday, NBC was on top with an average 6.5 rating and a 12 share. CBS placed second with a 6.1/11. ABC followed with a 5.5/10. Fox ranked fourth with a 3.3/6.
The top 10 shows of the week according to Nielsen Research:
1. NBA Finals Game 4 (Wednesday), NBC, 12.6/23; 2. NBA Finals Game 5 (Friday), NBC, 11.2/22; 3. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Tuesday), ABC, 10.1/19; 4. Millionaire (Thursday), ABC, 9.8/17; 5. Primetime Thursday, ABC, 9.7/17; 6. NBA Final Tip-off Game 4 (Wednesday), NBC, 9.6/18; 7. Weakest Link (Monday), NBC, 9.3/15; 8. Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS, 8.9/15; 9. 20/20, ABC, 8.0/15; 10. (tie) Becker, CBS, 7.5/12; CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 7.5/12.
