Overnight (metered market) ratings by timeslot:
12:00 PM – 3:00 PM Sunday.
1.3/4: Poker on NBC
1.1/3: Stanley Cup Playoffs on NBC, Devils/Lightning Game 6
1.1/3: Champions Tour golf on CBS
1.1: NBA Countdown on ABC
- Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between Tampa Bay and New Jersey could not even outdraw Champions Tour golf and an NBA pregame show. The taped poker series preceding the game and the taped swimming competition immediately after drew higher ratings (1.3 for each).
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM Sunday.
3.9: NBA Playoffs on ABC, Lakers/Suns
1.9/4: PGA Tour on CBS, Zurich Classic of New Orleans (final round)
1.3/3: Swimming on NBC
- Considering how far ESPN/ABC has driven down the ratings, one supposes that a 3.9 is decent. Consider this however: the NBA game aired with no competition. No NASCAR, no Yankees/Red Sox. The NBA game was the only game in town on broadcast television, and it still could not muster a 4.0 overnight rating.
Saturday ratings.
4.1/8: NASCAR on FOX, Subway Fresh Hit 500
3.6/9: MLB on FOX, Yankees/Red Sox
2.8: NBA Playoffs on ABC, Heat/Bulls
1.2/3: PGA Tour on CBS, Zurich Classic of New Orleans (third round)
0.9/2: Stanley Cup Playoffs on NBC, Flames/Red Wings Game 5
- Another devastating blow for the NBA. With its main broadcast partner promoting the Yankees/Red Sox series much more than it promoted the NBA Playoffs (most viewers likely did not even know what series would be airing on ABC that day), the league saw Heat/Bulls get trounced by baseball on FOX.
- With ESPN helping to pump as much hype into the series as possible, Yankees/Red Sox pulled in a very impressive 3.6 overnight rating, the highest of the season so far for FOX. The 3.6 is not too far below the 3.9 for the Lakers/Suns Game 1 which aired the next day, and the final ratings could end up with baseball on top of both NBA Playoff games last weekend.
- Flames/Red Wings was a blowout by the end, which could not have helped potential viewership. The game drew a 0.9 overnight on NBC, but at least it was not the lowest rated sporting event of the weekend. That honor goes to the Champions Tour on CBS, which drew a 0.7 overnight on Saturday.
