Top 40 Weekly Cable Ratings: Week of 05/21/12

The NBA Playoffs continue to dominate the cable TV ratings, taking six of the top ten spots, including positions one through five. And ratings should only get better in June as the Conference Finals are under way and then the NBA Finals in a couple of weeks.

Outside of sports, History performed nicely leading up to the Memorial Day weekend. Its staples PAWN STARS and AMERICAN PICKERS are the only non-sports programs in the top ten.

The bulk of the remaining spots in the top 40 chart are the off-network reruns on cable. That should change now that the broadcast networks are in summer repeat mode. In face, as a preview to next week's chart, the #1 program in the US could just be a cable program, and not from a broadcast network.

RANK       PROGRAM NAME                           NET  RATING
===============================================================
   1   NBA PLAYOFFS- ROUND 2 L                   TNT     5.3
   2   NBA PLAYOFFS- CONF FNLS L                 TNT     4.8
   3   NBA PLAYOFFS-CONF SEMIS L                 ESPN    4.5
   4   NBA PLAYOFFS-CONF SEMIS L                 ESPN    3.5
   5   NBA PLAYOFFS- ROUND 2 L                   TNT     3.5
   6   PAWN STARS                                HIST    3.3
   7   PAWN STARS                                HIST    3.3
   8   AMERICAN PICKERS                          HIST    2.8
   9   NBA PLAYOFFS- ROUND 2 L                   TNT     2.8
  10   WWE ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW)               USA     2.7
  11   WWE ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW)               USA     2.6
  12   INSIDE THE NBA PLAYOFFS                   TNT     2.3
  13   SWAMP PEOPLE                              HIST    2.3
  14   SPORTSCENTER LATE       L                 ESPN    2.2
  15   INSIDE THE NBA PLAYOFFS                   TNT     2.1
  16   SPONGEBOB                                 NICK    2.1
  17   NCIS                                      USA     2.0
  18   FAMILY GUY                                ADSM    2.0
  19   BIG BANG THEORY, THE                      TBSC    2.0
  20   FAMILY GUY                                ADSM    2.0
  21   FAMILY GUY                                ADSM    2.0
  22   FAMILY GUY                                ADSM    2.0
  23   NCIS                                      USA     2.0
  24   GAME OF THRONES                           HBOM    2.0
  25   FAMILY GUY                                ADSM    2.0
  25   NCIS                                      USA     2.0
  27   DEADLIEST CATCH                           DISC    2.0
  28   SPONGEBOB                                 NICK    2.0
  29   BIG BANG THEORY, THE                      TBSC    2.0
  29   FAMILY GUY                                ADSM    2.0
  31   SPORTSCENTER LATE       L                 ESPN    2.0
  32   BIG BANG THEORY, THE                      TBSC    2.0
  33   FAMILY GUY                                ADSM    1.9
  34   BIG BANG THEORY, THE                      TBSC    1.9
  35   FAMILY GUY                                ADSM    1.9
  36   BIG BANG THEORY, THE                      TBSC    1.9
  37   THE OREILLY FACTOR                       FOXNC    1.9
  38   THE OREILLY FACTOR                       FOXNC    1.9
  39   NCIS                                      USA     1.8
  40   FAMILY GUY                                ADSM    1.8

Each ratings point equals 1.147 million homes.