TNT put up solid numbers for a pair of dramatic series openers on Monday night.
Game 1 of the Bulls/Heat second round NBA playoff series drew 5.5 million viewers on TNT Monday, up 38% from Sixers/Celtics Game 2 last year (4.0M), but down 1% from Hawks/Bulls Game 1 in 2011 (5.6M). Last year’s Pacers/Heat opener, which aired on broadcast network ABC, earned 7.0 million viewers.
Bulls/Heat Game 1 ranks as the most-viewed game of the playoffs on cable. Prior to Monday night, no other game on cable had drawn at least five million viewers.
Later in the night, Game 1 of the Warriors/Spurs series drew just under 5.5 million viewers — down 18% from Lakers/Thunder Game 1 last year (6.7M), and down 15% from Mavericks/Lakers Game 1 in 2011 (6.4M).
Excluding the Conference Finals and NBA Finals, Warriors/Spurs Game 1 was the most-viewed NBA playoff game to involve the Spurs since Spurs/Hornets Game 7 in 2008 (6.5M).
(Mon. numbers from TV By the Numbers)
