The Warriors and Lakers continue to move boost NBA ratings — and so do the Raptors. Also: NASCAR overnights scored a rare uptick, and UFC on ESPN scored a big jump.
Warriors, Lakers — and Raptors — moving NBA needle
Warriors-Sixers scored a 2.8 overnight rating on ABC’s NBA Saturday Primetime over the weekend, up 22% from last year (Celtics-Rockets: 2.3) and up 115% from 2017 (Clippers-Bulls: 1.3). Those games faced competition from Duke-North Carolina in college basketball. The 2.8 overnight is the fourth-highest of the NBA season, excluding Christmas.
Overnights for Sunday’s Rockets-Celtics game were not immediately available.
On Friday, Bucks-Lakers had a 1.4 final rating and 2.10 million on ESPN — up 100% in ratings and 110% in viewership from last year (T’Wolves-Jazz: 0.7, 999K) and up 27% and 16% respectively from 2017 (Spurs-Pelicans: 1.1, 1.81M). Six of the last seven Laker games on ESPN/ABC and TNT, and nine of the last 12, have increased over last year.
Earlier Friday, Trail Blazers-Raptors had a 0.9 (+23%) and 1.41 million (+31%). Of the 12 Raptors games on ESPN/ABC and TNT that can be compared to last year, eight have increased.
NASCAR Vegas overnights up a tick
Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race from Las Vegas delivered a 2.9 overnight rating on FOX, up a tick from last year (2.8) but down 12% from 2017 (3.3). It was the second of three races this season to post an increase in the metered markets, joining last month’s Daytona 500. Ratings for the 500 ended up flat in the final nationals.
Overnights up big for UFC 235 prelims
ESPN earned a 1.0 overnight rating for Saturday’s UFC 235 prelims, up 67% from prelims on FS1 the same weekend last year. The 1.0 is tied as the the second-highest for a UFC pay-per-view prelim since 2013.
[Numbers from ESPN PR 3.3, 3.4, Programming Insider 3.4, Adam Stern/Twitter 3.4]
