Cable TV Ratings – 7/24/09

For the week ending on May 24, NBA playoff coverage dominated Nielsen Media's Top 20 Cable TV ratings. Positions No. 1 through No. 5 were occupied with Nuggets/Lakers and Magic/Cavaliers competitions. Due to the popularity of NBA coverage, USA Network's WWE Entertainment has been floating in the middle of the ratings. Six episodes of NCIS were ranked in the top twenty, and 29 total episodes averaged more than 2 million viewers.

According to Nielsen Media, cable TV ratings for the week ending on May 24 were as follows:

1. NBA Playoffs – Cavaliers/Magic - TNT
2. NBA Playoffs – Nuggets/Lakers - ESPN
3. NBA Playoffs – Nuggets/Lakers - ESPN
4. NBA Playoffs – Magic/Cavaliers - TNT
5. NBA Playoffs – Magic/Cavaliers - TNT
6. WWE Entertainment - USA
7. WWE Entertainment - USA
8. NCIS - USA
9. SpongeBob SquarePants - NICK
10. NCIS - USA
11. NCIS - USA
12. SpongeBob SquarePants - NICK
13. Night at the Museum - FX
14. NCIS - USA
15. NCIS - USA
16. SpongeBob SquarePants - NICK
17. Penguins of Madagascar - NICK
18. NCIS - USA
19. Inside the NBA Playoffs - TNT
20. SportsCenter - ESPN

ESPN’s broadcast of the FC Barcelona vs. Manchester United soccer championship, which aired on May 27, drew more than 1.4 million viewers. The 2009 UEFA soccer game was the most-watched tournament in American cable TV history. Last year’s UEFA finals on ESPN2 attracted nearly 1.1 million viewers, holding the record until now.

The FC Barcelona vs. Manchester United Match, which ended with a score of 2-0, was ESPN Desportes’ second most-watched broadcast of all time. Hispanic coverage ratings for this telecast fell just below 10, with game coverage viewed in approximately 474,000 homes. ESPN Desportes’ most-watched program remains the 2008 Euro Finals, Germany vs. Spain, reaching a Hispanic coverage rating of 10.1.