The second round of the NBA Playoffs got off to a slower start on ABC last weekend.
Game 1 of the Pacers/Knicks first round NBA playoff series earned a 3.9 final rating and just under 6.0 million viewers on ABC last Sunday, down 11% in ratings and 15% in viewership from Pacers/Heat Game 1 last year (4.4, 7.0M), and down 33% and 35%, respectively, from Celtics/Heat Game 1 in 2011 (5.8, 9.2M).
Despite the declines, the game ranks as the second-most viewed of the playoffs through Thursday’s games. Only Game 4 of the Heat/Bucks first round series earned a larger audience.
Earlier Sunday, Game 1 between the Grizzlies and Thunder drew a 3.0 and 4.3 million viewers — down 6% in ratings and 9% in viewership from Clippers/Grizzlies Game 7 last year (3.2, 4.7M), and down 3% and 11%, respectively, from Grizzlies/Thunder Game 1 in 2011 (3.1, 4.8M).
So far this postseason, four of six telecasts on ABC have had declines in both ratings and viewership compared to last year.
Most-Viewed Games of the 2013 NBA Playoffs
Through Wednesday
|
#
|
Date | Away | Home | Gm. # | Net | Viewers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Sun., 4/28/13 | Heat | Bucks |
4
|
ABC |
6.0M
|
|
2
|
Sun., 5/5/13 | Pacers | Knicks |
1
|
ABC |
6.0M
|
|
3
|
Mon., 5/6/13 | Bulls | Heat |
1
|
TNT |
5.5M
|
|
4
|
Sun., 4/21/13 | Lakers | Spurs |
1
|
ABC |
5.5M
|
|
5
|
Mon., 5/6/13 | Warriors | Spurs |
1
|
TNT |
5.5M
|
(Weekend numbers from ESPN)
