Toronto In Finals Throws Loops Into Hoops

While the current NBA Finals are shaping up as possibly one of the most interesting series in recent years, the question remains (as of press time, following Game 3) whether or not viewership will increase as the series plays out.

It is not surprising that Game 2 set a record for the most viewed NBA game ever throughout Canada, with the likelihood that more viewing records will be set if there were to be a possible championship clincher for the Raptors. On the U.S. side, Game 3 in prime time produced the lowest ratings for a Game 3 (Finals) telecast since 2013.

Even with the Warriors becoming a nationally recognized brand over the past few years, there is the possibility that many casual fans are "ho hum" about the continuing appearance of the Warriors in the Finals.

However, it could be that ABC could be a victim of the NBA television partners rarely showing the Raptors all season in comparison to the number of games they featured the other contending teams. Since Toronto is not a local market for the U.S. networks, TNT and ESPN went with fewer appearances than normal for a team at or near the top of the Eastern Conference all season.

As a result, we have fewer fans familiar with the talent of the Raptors, while more fans expect the Warriors to win against any opponent. The translation, so far, is in lower ratings for ABC. Even the possibility of sports history of having the NBA champion being a Canada team while a U.S. team wins the Stanley Cup has yet to make a difference in the ratings.

Another reason could be the ratings declines from the regular season for several of the NBA's important markets. It's no surprise that without LeBron James and a contending team that the Cleveland Cavaliers ratings for the season fell by 58%. The NY Knicks' TV ratings fell by 38%, the seemingly always contending San Antonio Spurs ratings fell by roughly 28%, while the Chicago Bulls local ratings dropped by 24%.


Still no word (as of press time) as to what is next from John Hayes, who surprisingly left the Paul Finebaum Show on ESPN Radio and the SEC Network this past week. All indications are that the decision came from Hayes and not from either network. Hayes has been a part-time host on 730 The Game in Charlotte, leading to speculation that he is closing in on a more prominent solo hosting role in Charlotte or elsewhere.




NEW YORK: Great to see Ron Darling back on Mets TV on SNY following his recent treatment for thyroid cancer. It had not been certain that Darling would be able to return for the remainder of this season.

WFAN will have a new overnight host this fall following the announced retirement of Tony Paige. Paige announced that he will wrap up his 2nd stint at WFAN following his Sept. 14th show, ending this run which began in 2003. His retirement comes during the week of his 66th birthday. WFAN also has confirmed that Giants QB Eli Manning will not return for his weekly segment on Mike Francesa's afternoon show this season. This comes along with speculation that Manning's days as the Giants' starting QB may be coming to end.

The short term plans for YES Network are uncertain now that the sale to Disney is expected to close. Reports have YES talking with partners (such as Sinclair Broadcast Group and Amazon, which reportedly lost out in the bidding for the Fox Sports Regional Networks) about acquiring at least a controlling interest in their network. Recent reports also have YES looking to begin a regional or national radio network, possibly involving SiriusXM.

HOUSTON: Paul Gallant is no longer the third man on the morning team at KILT 610, and is no longer with the station after an eight year run. Gallant had moved to share the morning show last year after hosting his own show at night on the station for nearly seven years.

TULSA: The Sports Animal has made a couple of changes to its daytime lineup. R.J. Young has taken over as host from 9 AM to 11 AM, while Erik Gee has joined The Pat Jones Show, which airs from 11 AM to 2 PM. Jones, the former OSU football coach, had been hosting the show solo for the past few weeks. Prior to joining The Sports Animal, Gee spent four years at KRXO 107.7 Oklahoma City.