June 08--The CBS telecast of the 69th Tony Awards pulled an average audience of 6.35 million viewers, down 10% from last year, according to the fast national ratings from Nielsen.
The ratings for the live ceremony hosted by Alan Cumming and Kristin Chenoweth are close to the all-time low for the Tonys, which was 6 million in 2012. Final numbers will be issued Tuesday. Among viewers ages 18 to 49, the demographic preferred by advertisers, the telecast earned a .9 rating.
While the Tony Awards telecast has never been a ratings blockbuster, it faced formidable competition this year, with the second game of the NBA Finals on ABC and "Game of Thrones" on HBO.
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The audience level fell off as the three-hour ceremony went on. With the lack of a major breakout Broadway hit among the Tony nominees, a ratings drop-off was anticipated. "Fun Home" was the winner for best musical, while "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" earned the trophy for best play.
Game 2 of the NBA -- a Cleveland Cavaliers victory over the Golden State Warriors in overtime -- averaged 18.8 million viewers from 8 to 11:24 p.m. ET. In viewers 18 to 49, the game averaged a 7.3 rating.
Through the first two games of the finals, ABC's audience is up 24% over last year and 20% in the 18 to 49 demo. It's the best start since ABC began carrying the NBA Finals in 2003.
