High ratings for Playmakers finale

ESPN's gay-inclusive original series Playmakers finished its freshman season with the highest-rated episode it has had since its premiere. Nearly 2 million households viewed the finale Tuesday, which capped a solid showing for the football-minded series. Playmakers averaged 2.2 million total viewers during the course of its first season, with more than 1 million from ESPN's core demographic, males 18-49, tuning in each episode. However, the potential for a second season remains shrouded in doubt amid reports that the National Football League, which counts the sports network among the rights holders to its games, is displeased by the graphic depictions of illegal activities by the show's fictional characters. No decision has been made about green-lighting a second season, an ESPN spokesperson said.