Despite both teams missing big stars, ABC still saw a ratings bump for last Sunday’s Celtics/Suns tilt.
The Celtics’ 20-point blowout of the Suns drew a 2.1 final rating on ABC, up 11% from a 1.9 for the Pistons/Suns game in the same timeslot last year. The 2.1 rating was the third-highest for a sporting event on broadcast last weekend, behind NASCAR on FOX (6.0) and the final round of the Northern Trust Open on CBS (3.3).
So far this season, ABC is averaging a 2.9 rating for NBA coverage, up 16% from a 2.5 through the same point in ’08. The 2.9 average is ABC’s best through nine games since the 2002-03 season. Seven of the eight NBA telecasts on ABC have seen increased ratings from last year.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Magic/Heat drew a 1.2 U.S. rating on ESPN at 5:30 PM, and Pistons/Cavaliers drew a 1.4 at 8 PM.
