NBA playoff ratings actually increased opposite the NFL Draft Thursday night, but still hit a playoff-low on TNT. Also: Penguins-Capitals got off to a slower start than in the previous two years, and ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball declined for a fourth straight week.
C’s-Bucks Up, But Hits Playoff Low on TNT
As should be no surprise, Milwaukee’s win was trounced by the competing NFL Draft on ESPN, ESPN2, FOX and NFL Network (7.0, 11.2M).
Pens-Caps III Opens on Lower Note
The Penguins’ win, which peaked with 2.1 million viewers from 9:30-9:45 PM ET, had 1.45 million viewers with streaming included. Last year’s comparable TV and streaming audience was not available.
In Thursday’s nightcap, Sharks-Golden Knights had a 0.47 and 799,000. There was no comparable window last year. Including streaming, the game’s audience of 830,000 viewers was the largest for a late night semifinal opener since 2010.
Sunday Night Baseball Now 0-For-4 This Season
All four Sunday Night Baseball games this season have posted a decline in ratings and viewership.
In other ESPN action, Twins-Yankees drew a 0.45 and 662,000 (+19%) on Monday night and Cubs-Indians had 420,000 viewers on Wednesday (-39%). Figures for last Saturday’s FS1 telecast — Indians-Orioles — were not immediately available.
[Numbers from Nielsen via Programming Insider 4.27; ShowBuzz Daily 4.24 a, b, 4.26]
