Nielsens: NBA Playoff Ratings, NHL, WNBA Draft

Sunday’s NBA playoff ratings were a mixed bag in the metered markets. Meanwhile, the Penguins-Flyers series is moving the needle for NBC Sports and the WNBA Draft delivered its largest audience in four years.

NBA Playoff Ratings: Sunday Overnights Mixed Bag

Sunday’s Pacers-Cavaliers first round NBA Playoffs Game 1 earned a 4.4 overnight rating on ABC, even with last year (Blazers-Warriors) and up 7% from 2016 (Pistons-Cavs: 4.1). The Pacers’ blowout win tied the fifth-highest opening weekend playoff overnight since ESPN/ABC resumed airing NBA games in the 2002-03 season.

Over on TNT, Game 1 of Timberwolves-Rockets had a 3.1 overnight — down 11% from last year (Thunder-Rockets: 3.5) but up 7% from 2016 (Grizzlies-Spurs: 2.9). Jazz-Thunder drew a 3.0 earlier in the night (-12%) and Bucks-Celtics a 2.2 in the afternoon (+22%).

Penguins-Flyers Up Big Friday and Sunday

NBC earned a 1.6 overnight rating for Sunday’s Penguins-Flyers first round Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 3, up a third from last year (Wild-Blues: 1.2) and even with 2016 (Blues-Blackhawks). Going out to the hundredth, the 1.62 overnight is the highest on the opening weekend of the playoffs since 2015 (Blackhawks-Blues: 1.65).

The Penguins’ win scored a 22.8 rating in Pittsburgh, the market’s highest ever for a first round game on the NBC family of networks.

On Friday, Game 2 of the series had 715,000 viewers on NBCSN — up 51% from last year (Blues-Wild: 474K) and up 13% from 2016 (Blackhawks-Blues: 633K). Ratings were not immediately available. In other action, Kings-Golden Knights drew 624,000 later in the night (+17%) and Wild-Jets drew 355,000 on USA Network (-42%).

WNBA Draft Most-Watched in Four Years

Thursday’s first round of the WNBA Draft earned 308,000 viewers on ESPN2, up 13% from last year (273K), up 21% from 2016 (254K) and the largest audience since 2014 (413K). Including second and third round coverage on ESPNU, the complete draft had 212,000 (+25%).

[Numbers from Sports Business Daily 4.16, NBC Sports, ESPN PR 4.16]

Ratings: Saturday NBA and NHL Overnights, UEFA

Jon Lewis

Jon Lewis has been covering the sports media industry on a daily basis since 2006 as the founder and main writer of Sports Media Watch. You can contact him here or on the social media websites X (Twitter) or Bluesky.