NBA Playoffs: Weekend Overnights Strong For ESPN/ABC

Posted by | 05/10/2011 at 2:35 am

ESPN and ABC both scored double-digit increases for coverage of the 2011 NBA Playoffs over the weekend.

Sunday’s Lakers/Mavericks Game 4 earned a 6.5 overnight rating on ABC, up 27% from last year (CLE/BOS G4: 5.1), and up 59% from 2009 (LAL/HOU G4: 4.1). The 6.5 is the second-highest of the postseason for the NBA on ABC, behind only Celtics/Heat Game 1 one week earlier (7.0).

Excluding the NBA Finals, the 6.5 overnight ranks as the eighth-highest for the NBA Playoffs on ABC since the network resumed airing games in 2002.

On Saturday, Game 3 between the Heat and Celtics earned a 5.7 overnight, up 30% from last year (LAL/UTA G3: 4.4), and up 43% from 2009 (CLE/ATL G3: 4.0). The 5.7 is the second-highest ever for a Saturday night playoff game on ABC, behind only Lakers/Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals two years ago (G3: 6.6).

Heat/Celtics topped Saturday night’s NASCAR Southern 500 from Darlington (3.5) by a whopping 63%.

Over on ESPN, the third game of the Thunder/Grizzlies series earned a 2.9 overnight opposite the Kentucky Derby, up 71% from last year’s comparable Magic/Hawks matchup, which did not face such competition.

Final ratings/viewership for Bulls/Hawks Game 3 and Lakers/Mavericks Game 3 on ESPN Friday night are available here. Overnights for Sunday’s Bulls/Hawks Game 4 on TNT are available here.

Highest Overnights, NBA Playoffs on ABC (excludes NBA Finals)

#
Date
Time
Game
Round, Gm. #
Net
Rating
1
 Thu., 5/15/03 8:30 PM SA 110, LAL 82 Semi, G6 ABC
8.0
2
 Thu., 5/13/04 8:30 PM LAL 74, SA 73 Semi, G5 ABC
7.2
3
 Sun., 5/1/11 3:30 PM BOS 90, MIA 99 Semi, G1 ABC
7.0
4
 Sun., 5/11/03 3:30 PM SA 95, LAL 99 Semi, G4 ABC
7.0
5
 Sun., 5/18/08 3:30 PM CLE 92, BOS 97 Semi, G7 ABC
6.9
6
 Sun., 5/21/06 3:30 PM CLE 61, DET 79 Semi, G7 ABC
6.7
7
 Sat., 5/23/09 8:30 PM LAL 103, DEN 97 WCF, G3 ABC
6.6
8
 Sun., 5/8/11 3:30 PM LAL 86, DAL 122 Semi, G4 ABC
6.5
9
 Sun., 5/4/03 3:30 PM POR 95, DAL 107 First, G7 ABC
6.1
10
 Sun., 5/3/04 3:30 PM LAL 78, SA 88 Semi, G1 ABC
6.0

(Weekend numbers from usatoday.com)

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