Opening night of the NBA season was a dud for TNT.
TNT averaged a 1.5 national rating for NBA doubleheader coverage on Tuesday night, down 17% from a 1.8 national rating for comparable games last year. Much of that drop can be attributed to the 26% drop for the first game of the doubleheader, which featured the Greg Oden-less Portland Trailblazers versus the San Antonio Spurs. That game drew a 1.4 national rating, compared to the 1.9 for the comparable Bulls/Heat game in ’06.
While Spurs/Blazers predictably fell in the ratings, Rockets/Lakers incurred a smaller, but surprising drop. The game, which Houston won 95-93, drew a 1.5 rating, down 6% from a 1.6 rating for the comparable Suns/Lakers game in ’06. With the intrigue surrounding Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, the 6% drop in ratings for the game had to have been at least somewhat disappointing for Turner.
