The NBA Finals games were the six highest-rated and most-watched programs so far in June, the first time that has happened in seven years.
Boston?s victory over the Los Angeles Lakers averaged a 9.3 rating for the series, up 50 percent over the 6.2 for San Antonio?s sweep of Cleveland last year. The Celtics? Game 6 clincher on Tuesday earned a 10.7 rating on ABC, averaging 16.9 million viewers over the course of the game.
Game 5, two nights earlier, averaged 17.4 million viewers.
The Philadelphia Phillies? five-game victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Fox drew record-low ratings. The series averaged an 8.4 rating and 14 share, the network said Thursday. That?s down 17 percent from the previous low, a 10.1 for the five-game Cardinals-Tigers series in 2006.