The start of a second straight 82-game NBA season attracted slightly better numbers on TNT.
Tuesday’s Bulls/Heat NBA Opening Night game drew a 4.2 overnight rating on TNT, up 8% from Celtics/Heat last year (3.9), but down 25% from Heat/Celtics in 2010 (5.6).
The 2011 season opener was canceled due to the NBA owners’ lockout of players. The first game of the season, a Christmas Day match-up between the Celtics and Knicks, drew a 4.1 overnight on TNT Christmas Day.
Tuesday’s 4.2 overnight is the second-highest ever for an NBA opening night game on TNT, trailing only Heat/Celtics in 2010. Keep in mind Bulls/Heat was not a competitive game.
Overall, TNT averaged a 3.6 overnight for the Opening Night NBA doubleheader — down 5% from last year’s 3.8, down 20% from a 4.5 in 2010, and the smallest average since 2009 (2.8). Despite the four-year low, the 3.6 is the third-best for an Opening Night doubleheader on the network.
(Tue. overnights from Sports Business Daily)
