• Mediaweek, Friday, May 8, 2009 9:30 AM

USA Network's year-long ratings winning streak has been broken by TNT. An epic first-round NBA playoff series helped the Turner network secure its first ratings crown of 2009.

In live-plus-same-day ratings data, TNT averaged 3.45 million total viewers during the week ended May 3, besting its rival by some 600,000 viewers, per Nielsen. TNT also served up 1.9 million viewers aged 18-49 and 967,000 viewers 18-34.

In the opening-round NBA playoff series, the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls notched a record seven overtime periods in seven games. Saturday's clincher delivered 7 million viewers. The deciding game was a triple-overtime, four-hour contest that drew 5.35 million viewers to witness the Bulls' victory.

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