With the Heat, Thunder, Lakers and Knicks each in the lottery, it should be no surprise that the NBA Playoffs got off to a slow start on cable.
Game 1 of the Spurs/Clippers NBA playoff series drew a 2.8 overnight rating on TNT Sunday night, down 10% from Blazers/Rockets last year (3.1) and down 15% from Rockets/Thunder in 2013 (3.3), but tied as the weekend’s top playoff game on cable.
Overnights were unavailable for TNT’s two other playoff games, but the network’s tripleheader averaged a 2.7 overnight according to Sports Business Daily — down 7% from a 2.9 both last year and in 2013.
Matching Spurs/Clippers was Game 1 of Mavericks/Rockets on ESPN Saturday night. The 2.8 overnight for the Rockets’ win actually marks an uptick from Grizzlies/Thunder last year (2.7) and an 8% increase from Grizzlies/Clippers in 2013 (2.6). It was the network’s only game to have an increase.
Earlier Saturday, Bucks/Bulls drew a 2.3 — down a tick from Hawks/Pacers last year (2.4) and down 12% from Bulls/Nets in 2013 (2.6). The early afternoon Wizards/Raptors game drew a 1.6, down 16% from Nets/Raptors last year (1.9).
Despite softer numbers overall, some of the local results were positive. Mavericks/Rockets drew an 8.5 rating in Houston, the network’s highest for a first round game on ESPN. Milwaukee’s 5.0 for Bucks/Bulls was that market’s second-highest for the first round on ESPN.
(Wknd. numbers from ESPN, Sports Business Daily)
