The Eastern Conference Finals may lack big markets, but Game 1 delivered in the ratings for TNT.
The Magic’s victory over the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the East Finals drew an impressive 4.6 U.S. rating and 7.3 million viewers on TNT Wednesday night, up 12% and 20%, respectively, from a 4.1 and 6.2 million for last year’s comparable Spurs/Lakers Game 1. Compared to Game 1 of last year’s East Finals, Magic/Cavaliers is up 24% and 35% from a 3.7 and 5.4 million for Pistons/Celtics on ESPN.
In Cleveland, Game 1 drew a sky-high 27.2 rating, up 66% from a 16.4 for Game 1 of the 2007 East Finals between the Cavaliers and Pistons, also on TNT. To put the 27.2 in perspective, the 2007 NBA Finals between the Cavaliers and Spurs averaged a 31.2 in the Cleveland market on broadcast network ABC.
In Orlando, Game 1 drew a 14.1 rating, the second-highest rating of the playoffs in the market.
The 4.6 for Magic/Cavaliers Game 1 comes on the heels of a 5.0 for Nuggets/Lakers Game 1 on ESPN Tuesday night. The games rank as the two highest rated Game 1s of the NBA Conference Finals since 2002.
Through Wednesday night, TNT is averaging a 2.7 U.S. rating for coverage of the 2009 NBA Playoffs, up 13% from last year.
Source: Turner Sports
