- Cleveland’s #23 helped his team to the highest local NBA ratings since the days of Chicago’s #23. Cavaliers games averaged a massive 8.76 rating on FS Ohio during the 2008-09 NBA regular season, up 116% from last year, and the highest average rating for an NBA team since the 1997-98 Bulls averaged an 8.9 in Chicago. The Cavaliers far and away led the NBA in television ratings, beating the second place Spurs (6.71) by 31%. Overall, NBA viewership was up 8% on the league’s 26 RSNs during the 2008-09 season.
- In Orlando and Atlanta, NBA fans prefer watching the home team on national TV as opposed to the local affilate. Game 4 between the the Magic and 76ers drew a 7.4 rating in Central Florida Sunday night, with the TNT broadcast drawing a 5.0 and the Sun Sports version posting a 2.4. Ratings fell off for Game 5, which drew a 4.0 on FS Florida and was blacked out on NBA TV. Meanwhile, in Atlanta, Game 1 between the Heat and Hawks drew an 8.7 rating — a 6.4 on TNT, and a 2.3 on FS South. Game 2 drew a 6.9 — a 5.5 on TNT and a 1.4 on FS South.
- The Blackhawks’ clincher against the Flames drew record ratings in Chicago. CSN Chicago drew a 5.28 rating for the Blackhawks’ Game 6 win, the highest rating ever for a Blackhawks game on the net. The full six-game series averaged a 4.52 on CSN Chicago, up 134% from the Blackhawks’ 2002 series against the Blues, the last time they made the playoffs. (Source: CSN Chicago)
Ted Turner, whose cable business transformed TV sports, dies
Ted Turner, the media mogul and team owner whose TBS "SuperStation" helped pave the way the era of cable...
