“America’s Got Talent” was the most-watched program for the fourth time in the five full weeks of television’s summer season while three NBA conference finals games on cable were last week’s only other prime-time programs to average more than 5 million viewers, according to live-plus-same-day figures released Wednesday by Nielsen.
The NBC talent competition averaged 7.083 million viewers, the third-largest audience for a prime-time program this summer behind the season’s first two “America’s Got Talent” episodes, which averaged 7.372 million and 7.22 million, respectively.
The only time “America’s Got Talent” was not the week’s most-watched program came during the week of June 14-20, when it aired two hours later than usual because of NBC’s coverage of the U.S. Olympic swimming trials.
ESPN’s coverage of the Phoenix Suns’ Western Conference finals- clinching 130-103 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers last Wednesday was second for the week, averaging 5.857 million viewers, while the Clippers’ 116- 102 victory two days earlier was third, averaging 5.745 million.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ 118-107 victory over the Atlanta Hawks last Saturday to win the Eastern Conference finals, which aired on TNT, was fourth, averaging 5.237 million.
NBC was the most-watched network for the second consecutive week, averaging 2.88 million viewers between June 28 and Sunday. The second- and third-place finishers were the same as the previous week, with CBS averaging 2.61 million and ABC 2.34 million.
All three networks aired 22 hours of prime-time programming.
Fox averaged 1.59 million viewers for its 15 hours, 52 minutes of prime-time programming, fourth among the five major English-language broadcast networks and sixth overall.
The CW again was fifth among the five major English-language broadcast networks, averaging 720,000 viewers for its 12 hours of programming.
Thanks to Independence Day weekend travel and less first-run programming, the combined five-network viewership was 20.2% lower than the previous week.
An edition of “60 Minutes” with repeats of three previously broadcast segments that were updated for Sunday’s broadcast was CBS’ most- watched program, averaging 4.66 million viewers, seventh for the week.
ABC’s most-watched program was “The $100,000 Pyramid,” 13th for the week, averaging 3.493 million viewers. The cooking competition “MasterChef” was Fox’s most-watched program for the second consecutive week, averaging 2.844 million viewers, 32nd overall.
The martial arts action-adventure series “Kung Fu” was The CW’s most- watched program, averaging 803,000 viewers, 147th among broadcast programs. Its overall rank was not available.
Three Eastern Conference finals games enabled TNT to edge Fox News Channel, 2.141 million-2.139 million to be the week’s most-watched cable network. ESPN was third, averaging 1.577 million.
The most-watched Spanish-language program was Univision’s coverage of Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Ecuador in a quarterfinal of the Copa America men’s soccer tournament Saturday, which averaged 1.763 million viewers, putting it 60th among broadcast programs. Its overall rank was not available.
Univision was the most-watched Spanish-language network for the 83rd consecutive week and 85th time in 86 weeks, averaging 1.38 million viewers. Telemundo was second, averaging 970,000 viewers, followed by UniMas (610,000), Estrella TV (110,000) and Azteca America (30,000).
ABC’s “World News Tonight with David Muir” was the most-watched network nightly newscast for the 83rd consecutive week, the 134th time in 135 weeks and the 186th time in 188 weeks, averaging 7.461 million viewers.
“NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt” was second, averaging 6.425 million viewers, followed by the “CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell,” which averaged 4.794 million viewers.
The week’s 10 most-watched prime-time programs were NBC’s “America’s Got Talent”; ESPN’s coverage of Game 6 and Game 5 of the NBA’s Western Conference finals; TNT’s coverage of Game 6 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference finals; “Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular” on NBC; TNT’s coverage of Game 5 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference finals; CBS’ “60 Minutes”; TNT’s coverage of Game 5 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference finals; and reruns of CBS’ “NCIS” and “The Neighborhood.”
