The first season of ABC’s NBA Saturday Primetime ended with a major dud.
Last Saturday’s Cavaliers/Bulls NBA regular season game earned a 1.3 final rating and shy of 2.0 million viewers on ABC, marking the second-lowest rated NBA game ever on primetime broadcast television. Rockets/Bulls last month holds the dubious distinction with a 1.2.
The 1.3 is also the lowest ever for a LeBron James game on broadcast television, regardless of timeslot. The previous low was a 1.6 for Mavericks/Cavaliers in March 2009 and regional action featuring Lakers/Cavaliers in March 2006, both of which faced the NCAA Tournament.
The poor performance was primarily due to ESPN’s competing Warriors/Grizzlies game, a late addition to the schedule. Golden State’s 71st victory of the season scored a 1.4 and 2.2 million viewers despite ESPN’s coverage being blacked out in the Bay Area.
The games combined for approximately 4.2 million viewers, topping all-but-two of the previous NBA Saturday Primetime broadcasts. Warriors/Thunder had 5.3 million in February and Warriors/Spurs 5.2 million in March.
Average ratings and viewership were not immediately available for this season’s NBA games on ABC. The network delivered its two highest non-Christmas ratings since 2013 for the Warriors’ aforementioned games against the Thunder (3.2) and Spurs (3.1). On the other hand, it also aired four games with a 1.5 rating or lower — tied with 2007-08, 2006-07 and 2004-05 as its highest total in a single season.
Ratings/Viewership For NBA on ABC This Season
* Game aired opposite Warriors/Grizzlies on ESPN
| Date | Game | Rtg./ Vwrs. | Date | Game | Rtg./ Vwrs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/25 | Bulls Thunder |
3.2, 5.9M |
2/27 | Warriors Thunder |
3.2, 5.3M |
| 12/25 | Cavaliers Warriors |
5.7, 11.2M |
3/5 | Rockets Bulls |
1.2, 1.9M |
| 1/23 | Bulls Cavaliers |
2.4, 3.9M |
3/6 | Warriors Lakers |
2.4, 3.7M |
| 1/30 | Spurs Cavaliers |
2.1, 3.3M |
3/12 | Thunder Spurs |
1.7, 2.6M |
| 1/31 | Bulls Clippers |
1.9, 2.9M |
3/13 | Cavaliers Clippers |
1.6, 2.5M |
| 2/7 | Clippers Heat |
1.3, 2.0M |
3/19 | Warriors Spurs |
3.1, 5.2M |
| 2/20 | Warriors Clippers |
2.2, 3.5M |
4/3 | Thunder Rockets |
1.5, 2.3M |
| 2/21 | Cavaliers Thunder |
2.2, 3.5M |
4/9* | Cavaliers Bulls |
1.3, 2.0M |
(Wknd. numbers via Programming Insider)
