Recent sports TV ratings news, including numbers for the NBA on ESPN, NBA on TNT and college basketball on CBS.
- ESPN drew a 0.8 and 1.175 million for Rockets/Magic last Friday, down 33% in ratings and 41% in viewership from last year (BOS/ATL: 1.2, 1.987 mil). In the nightcap, Knicks/Suns drew a 0.9 and 1.295 million, down 36% and 42%, respectively (CLE/DEN: 1.4, 2.250 mil). The network did much better two nights earlier, as Lakers/Suns earned a 1.5 U.S. rating and 2.140 million viewers on January 5 — up a tick in ratings and 5% in viewership from last year (LAL/LAC: 1.4, 2.039 mil). (pifeedback.com 1, 2)
- Thursday’s Heat/Nuggets game drew a 1.3 U.S. rating and 1.956 million viewers on TNT, up 18% in ratings and 25% in viewership from last year (CLE/UTA: 1.1, 1.565 mil), and TNT’s least-viewed Heat game of the season. Earlier in the night, Magic/Thunder drew a 1.3 and 1.972 million, up 8% and 18%, respectively, from last year (CHI/BOS: 1.2, 1.669 mil). One week earlier (January 6), Thunder/Mavericks drew a 1.1 and 1.640 million viewers on TNT, while Nuggets/Kings scored a 0.8 and 1.110 million. (pifeedback.com 1, 2)
- Despite a lead-in from CBS’ most-viewed NFL Wild Card game in five years, Sunday’s Kansas/Michigan college basketball game drew a 1.6 final rating on CBS, down 36% from the network’s post-Wild Card matchup last year (KU/TEN: 2.5). Viewership for the game was not available. (Sports Business Daily)
