ABC Scores Its Top Summer Thursday In More Than 18 Years

With coverage of the deciding Game 7 for the 2010 NBA Finals (Celtics-Lakers), ABC towered over Thursday night, beating its combined network competition (CBS, NBC, Fox and CW) during primetime by nearly 2 million viewers (18.1 million vs. 16.2 million) and by 58% in Adults 18-49 (7.1/22 vs. 4.5/14). ABC won all 7 nights with its coverage of the 2010 NBA Finals.

· In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, ABC posted its top summer Thursday in more than 18 years - pre-dating the start of Nielsen's electronic database, in September 1991.

"Jimmy Kimmel Live Game Night 7" (Various Time Periods)

On average, ABC's 2010 "JKL Game Night" specials jumped year to year by 13% in Total Viewers (3.6 million vs. 3.2 million) over 2009, earning the program's biggest audience in its 3 years on the air.

· During their run, the "Game Night" specials produced greatly increased sampling and exposure for "JKL," more than doubling its results in Viewers (+112% - 3.6 million vs. 1.7 million) and Adults 18-49 (+120% - 1.1/4 vs. 0.5/3) over its late-night 2009-10 TV Season averages.

"NBA Finals on ABC - GM 7" (9:04 - 11:59 p.m., ET)

The "NBA Finals on ABC - GM 7" towered over its primetime competitors to stand as Thursday's No. 1 TV program in Total Viewers (28.2 million) and across each of the key Adult demos: A18-34 (11.8/38), A18-49 (11.4/33) and A25-54 (11.2/30). It was the 7th consecutive broadcast for the 2010 NBA Finals to rank as the No. 1 TV show of the evening in viewers and key adults. Claiming their 16th NBA title, the LA Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics by a score of 83-79.

· With Game 7, ABC scored its best-ever numbers in its eight years of broadcasting the NBA Finals (beginning in 2003) with Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. In fact on both Nielsen measures, Game 7 of the 2010 championship series registered as the biggest for any NBA Finals telecast in 12 years - since the series-clinching Game 6 of the 1998 Bulls-Jazz series on 6/14/98.

· In viewers and young adults, Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals also qualified as TV's top non-Olympics summer (Memorial Day-Labor Day) telecast in nearly 10 years - since 8/23/00.

· On average, the 2010 NBA Finals produced the championship series' biggest audience ever on ABC and its 2nd-highest Adult 18-49 numbers (18.1 million and 7.3/22). In fact it finished as the most-watched NBA Finals overall in 9 years - since 2001 (Philadelphia-LA Lakers). Versus the 5-game 2009 Lakers-Magic series, The Finals on ABC surged year to year by 3.8 million viewers and by 21% in Adults 18-49 (14.3 million and 5.9/17).

A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year rating comparisons based on the Live + Same Day data stream are distorted by the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to 37% currently, from 32% at the same point in 2009. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight next-day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.

Source: The Nielsen Company (National, Live + Same Day Program Ratings), 6/17/10.

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