Aided by a good lead-in, the Lakers’ blowout loss to the Clippers put up decent numbers last week. In other news, ESPN hit a season-low for NBA coverage last week, and the Knicks’ local TV ratings have declined by nearly a third.
Lakers’ Blowout Loss Earns Decent Numbers
- Slightly more than 1.7 million viewers watched the Lakers’ 48-point loss to the Clippers on TNT Thursday night, down only 2% from Clippers/Nuggets last year (1.73M to 1.70M) and up 31% from Mavericks/Suns in 2012 (1.3M). The Heat/Spurs lead-in earned 2.6 million, down 4% from Thunder/Knicks last year (2.7M), but up 25% from Magic/Bulls in 2012 (2.1M). (Thu. numbers from The Futon Critic)
ESPN Hits Season-Low For Hawks/Blazers Game
- Last Wednesday’s Hawks/Blazers NBA regular season game earned just 890,000 viewers on ESPN, the smallest national TV audience for an NBA game this season. The previous low was 986,000 viewers for Nets/Knicks on Martin Luther King Day, which aired during the afternoon. The first game of the doubleheader did not fare well either; Mavericks/Nuggets had just 996,000 viewers, tying the third-smallest audience of the season. (Wed. numbers from The Futon Critic)
Knicks Ratings Down 30% on MSG
- New York Knicks coverage on MSG Network has averaged a 2.29 rating through 52 telecasts this season, down 30% from the comparable point last year, according to Newsday. The 2.29 average is still on pace to be the third-best for the Knicks in the past 12 seasons. The Knicks continue to trounce the Nets, who have averaged a 0.79 rating on YES Network. (Newsday)
