NBA ratings continue to slide; Duke lifted ESPN2 to a season-high; an FCS semifinal scored a 40 percent bump.
Yet More Declines For the NBA
Rockets-Heat scored 1.11 million viewers on the NBA on TNT Thursday night, down 36% from last year (Celtics-Knicks: 1.75M) but up 45% from 2016, when coverage aired opposite Thursday Night Football (Lakers-Heat: 770K). Ratings were not immediately available. TNT’s coverage was blacked out in Houston.
The Mavericks-Clippers nightcap had 1.02 million, down 20% from last year (Spurs-Jazz: 1.27M) and up 5% from 2016 (Spurs-Clippers: 975K).
Through Thursday, ESPN and TNT have aired 45 NBA windows that can be compared to last year. Of those 45, 29 have posted a decline.
Duke Boosts ESPN2 to Season-High
Thursday’s Texas Tech-Duke college basketball game scored 1.55 million viewers on ESPN2, the network’s largest college basketball audience of the season. There was no comparable window last year. Ratings were not immediately available.
The Blue Devils’ win was the top basketball game of the day, topping TNT’s competing NBA doubleheader head-to-head.
Big Jump For NDSU-SDSU
Last Friday’s North Dakota State-South Dakota State FCS college football semifinal earned a 0.51 rating and 846,000 viewers on ESPN2, marking a 40% viewership increase over last year (NDSU-Sam Houston State: 604K) and a 20% decline from 2016 (NDSU-James Madison: 1.07M).
On Saturday, Eastern Washington-Maine had a 0.28 and 448,000. Figures for last year’s comparable game, which aired on ESPNU, were not available.
Shifting to Division III, last Friday’s Mary Hardin Baylor-Mount Union national championship delivered 325,000 on ESPNU — down 10% from the same matchup last year.
