Viewership declined across the board for the start the NBA Playoffs on cable.
Game 1 of the Spurs/Clippers NBA playoff series earned 3.8 million viewers on TNT Sunday night, down 7% from Blazers/Rockets last year (4.0M), down 12% from Rockets/Thunder in 2013 (4.3M), and the least-watched game in the window since Blazers/Suns Game 1 in 2010 (3.0M).
Keep in mind the Clippers’ win started after 10:30 PM ET, the latest start time on the opening Sunday of the playoffs since the aforementioned 2010 game.
Earlier in the night, Blazers/Grizzlies Game 1 drew 3.6 million — down 9% from Wizards/Bulls last year (3.9M) and down 27% from Bucks/Heat in 2013 (4.9M). It was the least-watched game in the window since Heat/Hawks Game 1 in 2009 (3.2M).
Rounding out TNT’s tripleheader, Nets/Hawks Game 1 drew 3.4 million. There was no game in the window last year, but viewership declined 8% from Mavericks/Spurs in the 1 PM ET window last year (3.7M).
On ESPN, Saturday’s Game 1 of the Mavericks/Rockets series drew 3.3 million viewers — down 11% from Grizzlies/Thunder last year (3.7M), down 1% from Grizzlies/Clippers in 2013 (3.3M), and the least-watched game in the window since Jazz/Nuggets Game 1 in 2010 (2.9M).
The Bucks/Bulls opener drew 2.7 million, down 18% from Hawks/Pacers last year (3.2M) and down 19% from Bulls/Nets in 2013 (3.3M). Wizards/Raptors Game 1 drew 1.8 million, down 21% from Nets/Raptors last year (2.3M) and the least-watched playoff game on ESPN, TNT or ABC — in any window and in any round — since Magic/Bobcats Game 3 in 2010 (1.7M).
(Wknd. numbers via TV By the Numbers [1], [2])
