Ratings fell sharply for midweek NBA games on TNT and ESPN, including Russell Westbrook’s return to Oklahoma City. Also: NBCSN scored a modest bump for Wednesday Night Hockey; fewer viewers tuned into Baylor’s upset of UConn; miscellaneous numbers for other events.
Steep declines for midweek NBA, including Russ’ return to OKC
Thursday’s Rockets-Thunder NBA regular season game, which marked Rockets G Russell Westbrook’s return to Oklahoma City, averaged a 1.0 rating and 1.58 million viewers on TNT — down a third in ratings and 34% in viewership from Rockets-Warriors last year (1.5, 2.39M). Viewership did increase 2% from Thunder-Clippers two years ago (1.54M).
Earlier in the night, Celtics-Sixers averaged a 0.7 and 1.06 million — down 37% in ratings and 41% in viewership from Raptors-Spurs last year, which marked Kawhi Leonard’s return to San Antonio (1.15, 1.81M), and down 60% and 63% respectively from Warriors-Rockets in 2018 (1.8, 2.87M).
On ESPN Wednesday, Nuggets-Mavericks averaged a 0.7 rating and 1.04 million viewers (-30%) and Bucks-Warriors a 0.7 and 1.02 million (-42%).
Modest bump for Capitals-Flyers
NBCSN averaged a 0.25 rating and 404,000 viewers for Capitals-Flyers on NHL Wednesday Night Hockey this week, up 9% in ratings and 7% in viewership from last year (Predators-Blackhawks: 0.23, 379K), but down 17% in the latter from 2018 (Wild-Blackhawks: 486K, rating n/a).
In other action, Avalanche-Rangers averaged a 0.20 and 327,000 (+70%) on Tuesday night and Red Wings-Blackhawks a 0.19 and 321,000 (-32%) on Sunday night.
Rounding out the post-Winter Classic slate, Blues-Avalanche averaged 277,000 and Devils-Islanders 260,000 on January 2; Wednesday’s Stars-Kings nightcap had 226,000; Sunday’s Predators-Ducks nightcap had 151,000; Predators-Blackhawks had 148,000 on Thursday (-40%).
Figures were not available for Monday’s Oilers-Maple Leafs game.
Fewer viewers for Baylor upset of UConn
Thursday’s Baylor-UConn women’s college basketball game, which saw the Bears snap the Huskies’ 98-game home winning streak, averaged a 0.34 rating and 518,000 viewers on ESPN — down 5% in ratings and 6% in viewership from Louisville-Notre Dame last year (0.36, 553K). Compared to the teams’ meeting last season, another Thursday night game on ESPN, viewership fell 17% (from 627K).
Despite the declines, the game averaged more viewers than the Arizona-Oregon men’s matchup that followed (472K).
Miscellaneous: HS football, Super Tuesday, Supercross
Last Saturday’s high school football All-American Bowl averaged a 0.8 rating and 1.13 million viewers on NBC, flat in ratings and down 1% in viewership from last year (0.8, 1.14M). … On ESPN’s Super Tuesday this week, Kentucky-Georgia averaged a 0.7 rating (-13%) and 1.21 million viewers (-3%) and Ohio State-Maryland a 0.55 (-35%) and 843,000 (-35%). … Taped coverage of the Supercross season-opener from Anaheim averaged a 0.22 rating and 300,000 viewers on NBC last Sunday, well below the networks’ two telecasts last season, at Glendale last January (0.39, 593K) and at Las Vegas in May (0.4, 625K).
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 1.7; Programming Insider 1.8, 1.10 a, b]
