TNT has gotten off to a good start for the NBA Playoffs.
Sunday’s NBA playoff tripleheader on TNT averaged 3.9 million viewers, up 3% from last year. Blazers/Rockets Game 1 was the day’s top draw on the network with a 2.6 U.S. rating and 4.1 million viewers Sunday night — down 7% in ratings and 5% in viewership from Rockets/Thunder last year (2.8, 4.3M), but flat and up 2%, respectively, from Clippers/Grizzlies in 2012 (2.6, 4.0M).
Wizards/Bulls Game 1 earlier in the evening earned a 2.4 and 3.9 million, down 20% in ratings and viewership from Bucks/Heat last year (3.0, 4.9M), and down 8% and 1%, respectively, from Celtics/Hawks in 2012 (2.6, 4.0M).
The Mavericks/Spurs opener made up for the primetime declines, earning a 2.3 and 3.7 million viewers Sunday afternoon — up 53% in ratings and 66% in viewership Hawks/Pacers last year (1.5, 2.2M), and up 5% and 15%, respectively, from Jazz/Spurs on ESPN in 2012 (2.2, 3.2M).
TNT had another big increase on Monday night, as Game 2 between the Grizzlies and Thunder drew 4.2 million viewers — up 39% from Bulls/Nets last year (3.0M), but down 5% from Knicks/Heat in 2012 (4.4M). The game earned the top cable audience of the playoffs thus far (eight telecasts).
Monday’s nightcap between the Warriors and Clippers drew 3.1 million, up 1% from Grizzlies/Clippers last year (3.1M), but down 34% from Mavericks/Thunder in 2012 (4.7M).
(Sun. numbers from Bloomberg/Media Life Magazine, additional info from The Futon Critic; Mon. numbers from TV By the Numbers)
