Ratings: NBA Overnights, PGA, EPL, Racing

Friday’s Cavaliers-Pacers NBA Playoffs Game 6 had a 2.9 overnight rating on ESPN, up 81% from Celtics-Bulls last year (1.6) and the network’s highest of the postseason. The Pacers’ blowout win, which peaked at at a 3.6 from 9:45-10 PM ET, had a 12.3 rating in Cleveland and an 11.9 in Indianapolis — figures that do not include competing coverage on local RSNs. It was ESPN’s highest rated first round game ever in both markets.

Later in the night, Thunder-Jazz Game 6 scored a 2.8 overnight (+40%). It had a 9.4 in Oklahoma City and a 9.2 in Salt Lake City, figures that again do not include local RSN viewership.

Last Sunday’s final round of the PGA Tour Texas Open earned a 1.5 rating and 2.27 million viewers on CBS, up 15% in ratings and 14% in viewership from last year (1.9, 2.00M) and flat and up 2% respectively from 2016 (1.5, 2.22M). It was the most-watched round of the tournament since 2013 (2.5M).

Third round action on last Saturday pulled a 1.1 (+16%) and 1.6 million (+17%), marking the event’s largest third round audience since 2015 (1.9M).

Thirteen of the past 14 PGA rounds on broadcast television have hit a multi-year high in ratings and/or viewership, including the last eight straight. For the season, 20 of 26 windows have hit a high.

Lead-in coverage on Golf Channel had a 0.33 (+14%) and 482,000 (+25%) last Saturday and a 0.37 (+8%) and 599,000 (+7%) last Sunday.

Last Saturday’s Manchester United-Tottenham F.A. Cup semifinal delivered a 0.47 rating and 684,000 viewers on FOX, down 8% in ratings and 14% in viewership from last year (Chelsea-Tottenham: 0.51, 799K). Despite the decline, viewership easily topped the sides’ Premier League meetings this season, neither of which cracked 400,000 viewers.

The match cruised past all of last weekend’s Premier League matches. Manchester City-Swansea topped the EPL slate with just 294,000 viewers on NBCSN last Sunday (-56%). The previous day, Watford-Crystal Palace drew 286,000 (+41%) and West Brom-Liverpool 228,000.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series Richmond 250 earned a 0.45 rating and 716,000 viewers on FS1 April 20, down 38% in ratings and a third in viewership from last year (0.7, 1.1M) and down 44% and 39% respectively from 2016 (0.8, 1.2M). All eight Xfinity Series races this season have declined, seven to multi-year lows.

In other racing action, NHRA eliminations from Houston had a 0.31 (-3%) and 472,000 (-4%) last Sunday. All five NHRA eliminations this season have posted a decline in ratings and/or viewership. Figures were not available for the IndyCar Grand Prix of Alabama, which was postponed due to rain.