ABC’s NBA Sunday Showcase stumbled in the ratings. In other news, the Warriors delivered another big increase for ESPN, and CBS had mixed results for last weekend’s college basketball coverage.
Sub-2.0 Rating For ABC’s NBA Sunday Showcase
- Last Sunday’s Bulls/Clippers NBA regular season game pulled a 1.9 final rating and 2.9 million viewers on ABC, down 32% in ratings and 31% in viewership from last year’s comparable Thunder/Cavaliers matchup, which aired one week earlier in the season (2.8, 4.2M). The Clippers’ win marked just the fourth time in the past five years that ABC has had a sub-2.0 rating in the late Sunday afternoon window. (via Sports Business Daily)
Warriors Fuel Big Gains For ESPN; Knicks and Lakers Low on TNT
- ESPN drew a 1.5 final rating and 2.3 million viewers for Warriors/Wizards Wednesday, up 88% in ratings and 102% in viewership from Bulls/Rockets last year (0.8, 1.1M) and up 36% and 33%, respectively, from Blazers/Knicks in 2014 (1.1, 1.7M). Later, T’Wolves/Clippers had a 0.9 (-10%) and 1.4 million (-1%). Thursday, Lakers/Pelicans had a 0.8 and 1.2 million on TNT — down a tick in ratings and 4% in viewership (1.23M to 1.18M) from Suns/Blazers last year and down 20% and 18%, respectively, from Bulls/Warriors in ’14 (1.0, 1.4M). Knicks/Pistons had 987,000 in the early window (-46%). (via Programming Insider [1], [2])
CBS Sees Mixed Numbers For Weekend College Hoops
- Maryland/Ohio State college basketball earned a 1.4 final rating and 2.1 million viewers on CBS last Sunday, down 14% in viewership from Michigan/Michigan State last year (2.4M) and down a tick and 13%, respectively, from Michigan/Indiana in 2014 (1.5, 2.4M). On Saturday, Virginia/Louisville had a 0.8 and 1.3 million — up 6% in viewership from Arkansas/Florida last year (1.1M) and down 39% in both measures from Kentucky/Missouri in ’14 (1.3, 1.8M). Last year’s ratings were not available. Over on FOX, Villanova/St. John’s pulled a 0.6 and 876,000 on Sunday. (via SBD)
