ABC’s Super Bowl Sunday NBA game was a dud. In other news, the Warriors keep moving the needle, and Louisville/Duke topped a mixed slate of early week college basketball.
Clippers/Heat Ties NBA’s Lowest Super Bowl Sunday Rating Since ’03
- Sunday’s Clippers/Heat NBA regular season game earned a 1.3 final rating and nearly 2.0 million viewers on ABC, tying the lowest rating for a nationally televised NBA game on Super Bowl Sunday in 13 years, since Blazers/Mavericks on ESPN in 2003 (1.1). Only Sixers/Timberwolves in 2004, which also aired on ESPN, had as low a rating. The Clippers’ low-key win also tied ABC’s second-lowest NBA rating in the past seven years, ahead of only Rockets/Wizards opposite the NCAA Tournament last year (1.0).
Warriors Keep Fueling Big Gains
- TNT drew a 1.5 final rating and 2.2 million viewers for Rockets/Warriors Tuesday night, up 200% in ratings and 209% in viewership from Nuggets/Lakers last year (0.5, 727K). Spurs/Heat had a 0.9 (+50%) and 1.2 million (+45%) earlier in the night. On Wednesday, Lakers/Cavaliers drew a 1.2 and 1.8 million on ESPN — up a tick and 11%, respectively, from Heat/Cavaliers last year (1.1, 1.6M) — and Rockets/Blazers a 0.8 (-20%) and 1.2 million (-14%). There were no comparable games in 2014.
Louisville/Duke Tops Early Week Hoops on ESPN
- Louisville/Duke college basketball had a 1.0 final rating and 1.6 million viewers on ESPN Monday, down a tick in ratings but up 2% in viewership (1.59M to 1.57M) from Duke/FSU last year, and up 100% and 153%, respectively, from Miami/FSU in 2014 (0.5, 631K). Later, Texas/Oklahoma had a 0.9 and 1.4 million — up a tick in ratings and 27% in viewership from Iowa State/Oklahoma last year (0.8, 1.1M) and flat and up 1%, respectively, from Kansas/K-State in ’14 (1.42M to 1.40M). Tuesday, Georgia/Kentucky had a 0.7 (-53%) and 1.1 million (-55%) and Michigan State/Purdue a 0.8 (flat) and 1.2 million (+2%).
(Numbers via Sports Business Daily, Programming Insider [1], [2], [3])
