NBA Playoffs: ABC’s Knicks/Heat Final Rating Up From Last Year; Nuggets/Lakers Down

Posted by | 05/04/2012 at 10:20 am

The opener of the Knicks/Heat NBA playoff series did not earn blockbuster numbers on ABC Saturday, but still managed to eke out an increase over last year.

Game 1 of the Knicks/Heat first round NBA playoff series drew a 3.1 final rating and 4.752 million viewers on ABC, up a tick in ratings and 5% in viewership from Sixers/Heat Game 1 last year (3.0, 4.546M), and up 24% and 29%, respectively, from Bulls/Cavaliers Game 1 in 2010 (2.5, 3.679M).

This marks the most-viewed game on the first Saturday of the playoffs (on broadcast) since Supersonics/Spurs Game 1 on NBC in 2002 (4.946M).

With that said, significantly higher numbers could have been expected, considering the teams involved.

On Sunday, Game 1 of the Nuggets/Lakers series drew a 3.3 final rating and 4.882 million viewers — down 11% in ratings and 18% in viewership from Hornets/Lakers Game 1 last year (3.7, 5.950M), and flat in ratings and down 5% in viewership from Thunder/Lakers Game 1 in 2010 (3.3, 5.132M).

The game actually drew a lower rating and fewer viewers than the Thunder/Lakers regular season game in the same timeslot a week earlier (3.4, 5.095M).

(Saturday/Sunday numbers from ESPN)

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  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Andrea-Cavalli/757338131 Andrea Cavalli

    Yeah I would’ve expected a little more from Heat-Knicks. Then again, game 1 was already over by the time the 2nd quarter started since the Heat dominated.

  • Rich S.

    The problem is that the majority of the playoff games so far this week have been uncompetitive. Only the Memphis-LAC series seems genuinely exciting.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/O6SRJVHK4L2TNWZLGX6TPJLS4U 4life

    The players are dropping like flies due to injury.   I thought the Heat/Knicks series would be good until the Heat shot 24 free throws in the first half of game 1.  The playoffs aren’t that interesting without Rose.  The Pacers better hope Danny Crawford isn’t officiating game 1 versus the Heat otherwise that series will be over after the 1st quarter of game 1.