Celtics/Knicks Earns Fourth-Largest NBA Audience Ever on Cable

Posted by | 12/26/2011 at 2:57 pm

The first game of the 2011-12* NBA regular season earned near-record viewership for TNT.

Sunday’s Celtics/Knicks NBA regular season game drew a 3.4 U.S. rating and 5.860 million viewers on TNT, up 48% in ratings and 46% in viewership from last year’s comparable Christmas Day game (CHI/NY: 2.3, 4.017M), and up 100% and 121%, respectively, from Christmas Day in 2009 (MIA/NY: 1.7, 2.652M).

The game ranks as the fourth-most viewed NBA regular season game ever on cable, behind only Heat/Cavaliers last December (7.096M), Bulls/Lakers in February 1996 (7.271M), and Heat/Celtics on Opening Night last year (7.348M).

Locally, the game drew a 7.8 rating in Boston and a 7.2 in New York.

* Shortened due to owners’ lockout.

(Sunday’s numbers from Turner Sports)

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  • JakeFrankie

    Great game with a great rating, I knew it would be great. But without a doubt this is great for the NBA. Truth is Knicks could be playing anyone the ratings would be very good, let alone Boston Celtics. Such a great game to watch.

  • Bessilver

    Decent #’s.

    Lakers vs Bulls - 6.5 U.S. Rating
    Heat vs Mavs – 5.6 U.S. Rating