The third time was not the charm for the Phoenix Suns on ABC.
The Spurs’ win over the Suns drew a 2.0 overnight rating on ABC Sunday afternoon, down 23% from a 2.6 for the comparable game between the same teams last year.
The 2.0 overnight is the lowest of the season for an NBA game on ABC, and the lowest for any NBA game on broadcast since a Raptors/Pistons game last April drew a 1.8. So far this season, ABC’s nine Sunday afternoon NBA telecasts have averaged a 22% drop from the overnight to the final rating, putting Suns/Spurs on pace for a 1.6 final rating.
Despite the low number, Suns/Spurs doubled the NHL on NBC (1.0/3). Ratings for NASCAR on FOX and Duke/North Carolina on CBS were not immediately available.
Suns/Spurs marked the third straight week the Phoenix Suns were featured on ABC. With the team currently out of the playoff race, perhaps ABC would have been better served airing the Magic/Celtics game that also aired on Sunday afternoon.
Overnight ratings for the NBA on ABC during the 2008-09 season.
excluding Christmas Day doubleheader
