After ten straight increases, viewership declined for the NBA Playoffs on TNT Wednesday.
Game 5 of the Blazers/Rockets first round NBA playoff series earned 4.4 million viewers on TNT Wednesday night, down 2% from Rockets/Thunder last year (4.5M), but up 9% from Clippers/Grizzlies in 2012 (4.0M). The game ranks as the fourth-most viewed of the playoffs on cable (35 telecasts through Wednesday).
Western Conference series account for each of the eight most-viewed playoff games on cable, with the Rockets/Blazers series taking four of the top eight spots. Only one Eastern Conference game made the top ten — Wizards/Bulls Game 5 on Tuesday (4.0M).
Earlier Wednesday night, Mavericks/Spurs Game 5 drew 3.3 million — down 5% from Celtics/Knicks last year (3.5M) and down 20% from Knicks/Heat in 2012 (4.1M).
Nets/Raptors Game 5 drew 610,000 viewers on NBA TV, up a whopping 259% from Hawks/Pacers last year (170K).
(Wed. numbers from The Futon Critic)
