With the caveat that the Warriors have yet to play, the second round of the NBA Playoffs got off to a mixed start in the Nielsens.
Monday’s Rockets-Spurs NBA Playoffs Game 1 earned 4.4 million viewers on TNT, down 15% from Thunder-Spurs Game 2 in the same window last year (5.2M) and down 5% from Clippers-Rockets Game 1 in 2015 (4.7M). Ratings were not immediately available.
The Rockets’ blowout win topped only last year’s Thunder-Spurs opener (3.6M) as the least-watched Game 1 of a Western semifinal since 2010. It still tied the night’s top rating in adults 18-49, tying NBC’s The Voice (1.8) and cruised to a win in adults 18-34 (1.95).
Earlier in the night, Raptors-Cavaliers Game 1 had 3.6 million — down 2% from Hawks-Cavaliers last year (3.63 to 3.58M) and down 22% from Bulls-Cavaliers in 2015 (4.6M). It was the least-watched semifinal opener involving LeBron James in a decade, since Nets-Cavaliers on ABC in 2007 (3.2M).
Sunday’s results were more positive. Wizards-Celtics Game 1 had a 2.8 final rating and 4.2 million viewers on ABC, up 12% in ratings and 11% in viewership from Hornets-Heat Game 7 last year (2.5, 3.8M) and up a third and 37% respectively from Wizards-Hawks Game 1 in 2015 (2.1, 3.0M).
The second game of ABC’s doubleheader, Jazz-Clippers Game 7 in the first round, had a 3.7 and 5.8 million.
