NBA ratings took a hit from the World Series on Wednesday, but fared even worse on Thursday. Also: the Fall Classic hampered NHL ratings as well, and Big Ten Network is averaging nearly 600,000 for college football games.
NBA low opposite World Series, but lower on Thursday
Facing Game 7 of the World Series, ESPN averaged a 0.6 rating (-11%) and 947,000 viewers (-13%) for Bucks-Celtics and a 0.5 (-34%) and 817,000 (-32%) for Clippers-Jazz on NBA Wednesday this week. Last year’s games (Mavericks-Hawks and Sixers-Bucks) did not air opposite the Fall Classic.
Versus the last time coverage faced a World Series Game 7 — 2017 — Bucks-Celtics was flat in ratings and up 13% in viewership (vs. Rockets-Knicks: 0.6, 839K) and Clippers-Jazz increased 18% and 21% respectively (vs. Mavericks-Clippers: 0.45, 677K).
Despite the World Series competition, the NBA fared better on Wednesday than on Thursday. TNT averaged a 0.45 (-50%) and 658,000 (-55%) for Heat-Hawks and a 0.5 (-59%) and 784,000 (-60%) for Nuggets-Pelicans.
World Series takes toll on NHL, too
Also facing Game 7 of the World Series, NBCSN averaged 240,000 viewers for Wild-Blues on Wednesday Night Hockey — down a third from 2017, the last time coverage faced a World Series Game 7 (Flyers-Blackhawks: 358K). There was no Wednesday game last season.
The game ranks ninth out of the 15 NHL windows on NBCSN this season.
BTN averaging nearly 600K for college football
Big Ten Network is averaging 575,000 viewers for college football games this season (22 telecasts), Sports Business Daily reported Thursday. BTN is in its first year as a nationally-rated network.
According to the same report, NFL Network is averaging 84,000 for its slate of Conference USA games, including just 25,000 for FIU-Middle Tennessee last weekend.
[Nielsen estimates from Programming Insider 10.31, 11.1; Sports Business Daily 10.31]
