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Home › Linear Media › TNT Sports › NBA on TNT Still Up Big in Ratings, Viewership

NBA on TNT Still Up Big in Ratings, Viewership

by Jon Lewis
15 years ago
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TNT continues to see increases in ratings and viewership for regular season NBA coverage.

Through 18 telecasts, TNT is averaging a 1.6 U.S. rating and 2.589 million viewers for NBA coverage, up 33% in ratings and 43% in viewership from last year (1.2, 1.813 mil), and up 60% and 71%, respectively, from 2008-09 (1.0, 1.518 mil).

The network has benefited from airing the two most-viewed NBA regular season games on cable since 1996 — Heat/Celtics on Opening Night (7.348 mil) and Heat/Cavaliers on December 2 (7.096 mil).

Four games on TNT have drawn at least four million viewers this season. By comparison, just one regular season game on cable hit that mark all of last season.

TNT is edging fellow NBA broadcast partner ESPN (1.5, 2.209 mil), whose NBA numbers are also up double-digits.

Ratings/Viewership For NBA on TNT During 2010-11 Season

Date Time Game Net Rating Viewers (000)
Tue., 10/26/10 7:30 PM Heat 80 TNT
4.6
7,348
Celtics 88
10:30 PM Rockets 110 TNT
2.8
4,279
Lakers 112
Thu., 10/28/10 8 PM Wizards 83 TNT
1.1
1,524
Magic 112
10:30 PM Suns 110 TNT
1.0
1,423
Jazz 94
Thu., 11/4/10 8 PM Knicks 120 TNT
1.3
2,004
Bulls 112
10:30 PM Thunder 107 TNT
1.2
1,734
Blazers 106
Thu., 11/11/10 8 PM Celtics 112 TNT
2.7
4,230
Heat 107
10:30 PM Lakers 112 TNT
1.8
2,872
Nuggets 118
Thu., 11/18/10 8 PM Suns 89 TNT
0.8
1,212
Magic 105
10:30 PM Nuggets 83 TNT
0.7
1,052
Trail Blazers 86
Thu., 11/25/10 8 PM Wizards 96 TNT
0.6
952
Hawks 116
10:30 PM Kings 82 TNT
0.6
952
Clippers 100
Thu., 12/2/10 8 PM Heat 118 TNT
4.2
7,096
Cavaliers 90
10:30 PM Suns 107 TNT
1.2
1,749
Warriors 101
Thu., 12/9/10 8 PM Celtics 102 TNT
1.1
1,687
76ers 101
10:30 PM Magic 83 TNT
0.9
1,310
Trail Blazers 97
Thu., 12/16/10 8 PM Hawks 90 TNT
1.3
2,031
Celtics 102
10:30 PM Spurs 113 TNT
1.2
1,741
Nuggets 112

(Turner Sports)

Tags: Final RatingsNBA on TNTNBA Ratings
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Jon Lewis

Jon Lewis has been covering the sports media industry on a daily basis since 2006 as the founder and main writer of Sports Media Watch. You can contact him here or on the social media websites X (Twitter) or Bluesky.

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