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    Opening of NBA playoffs gives ratings win to ABC, ESPN; Nielsen week in review

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1410 Views
    Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) celebrates after making a layup at the buzzer to score and win Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round Eastern Conference playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets, Sunday, April 17, 2022, in Boston. The Celtics won 115-114. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

    By David Bauder, Media Writer

    NEW YORK (AP) --

    The NBA playoffs have begun with no clear championship favorite, and that appears to be good news for ABC and ESPN.

    The opening-round schedule of five games last weekend on the networks had more viewers than any playoff start since 2011, and its average of 4.17 million was up 32% over last year, the Nielsen company said.

    Leading the way was the instant classic between the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics, with 6.9 million viewers Sunday afternoon, making it the most-watched first round game since 2016, Nielsen said. Viewership peaked at 9.8 million when the Celtics hit a last-second layup to win 115-114.

    Among the broadcast networks, CBS led the way last week with an average of 4.5 million viewers in primetime. ABC had 3.5 million, NBC had 3 million, Fox had 2.8 million, Univision had 1.4 million, Ion Television had 1 million and Telemundo had 800,000.

    Fox News Channel led the cable networks with a primetime average of 2.24 million viewers. TNT had 1.59 million, ESPN had 1.23 million, MSNBC had 1.16 million and HGTV had 977,000.

    ABC's "World News Tonight" led the evening news ratings with an average of 8 million viewers last week. NBC's "Nightly News" had 6.6 million and the "CBS Evening News" had 4.6 million.

    For the week of April 11-17, the top 20 most-watched primetime programs, their networks and viewerships:

    1. "FBI," CBS, 7.39 million.
    2. "60 Minutes," CBS, 7.12 million.
    3. "Chicago Fire," NBC, 7.11 million.
    4. "Young Sheldon," CBS, 6.85 million.
    5. "Chicago Med," NBC, 6.77 million.
    6. "The Equalizer," CBS, 6.64 million.
    7. "Ghosts," CBS, 5.96 million.
    8. "Chicago PD," NBC, 5.92 million.
    9. "FBI: International," CBS, 5.79 million.
    10. "NCIS: Los Angeles," CBS, 5.64 million.
    11. "FBI: Most Wanted," CBS, 5.43 million.
    12. "CMT Music Awards," CBS, 5.33 million.
    13. "American Idol" (Monday), ABC, 5.31 million.
    14. "American Idol" (Sunday), ABC, 5.27 million.
    15. "Survivor," CBS, 5.08 million.
    16. "America's Funniest Home Videos," ABC, 5.07 million.
    17. "911," Fox, 5.06 million.
    18. "United States of Al," CBS, 4.91 million.
    19. NBA Playoffs: Chicago at Milwaukee, Turner, 4.77 million.
    20. "Law & Order: SVU," NBC, 4.74 million.

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    Tech CEOs summoned to Congress for June 23rd hearing on social media’s risks for children

    Saturday, May 16, 2026
    Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, arrives to testify before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 31, 2024, to discuss child safety. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

    Social media CEOs once again are being called to testify before the Senate in light of mounting legal and public pressure to protect young users on their platforms.

    The leaders of Meta, Alphabet, TikTok and Snap were invited to testify next month before the Senate Judiciary Committee, a committee spokesperson confirmed Friday.

    The hearing comes at an inflection point for social media as court cases, proposed legislation and increased advocacy place mounting pressure on the tech companies behind these platforms to protect children and teens who use them by making material changes to how they operate.

    "Americans are realizing more and more every day that they cannot trust the CEOs at the helms of these companies because they do not put our safety first," said Sacha Haworth, executive director of watchdog group The Tech Oversight Project. "If it feels like the pace is accelerating, it's because it is."

    The CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media companies were last called to testify before the same committee in January 2024, when lawmakers grilled them on questions about the exploitation of children on their platforms and social media's effects on young people's lives.

    The June 23 hearing is titled "Examining Tech Industry Practices and the Implications for Users and Families: Is This Social Media's Big Tobacco Moment?" The executives were invited by Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican and the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

    Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Sundar Pichai of Alphabet and Google, which owns YouTube, Shou Zi Chew of TikTok and Evan Spiegel of Snap received the invitations for the upcoming hearing. Meta declined to comment. Representatives from the other companies did not immediately respond to... Read More

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