Lakers-Sixers continued the NBA’s recent ratings momentum; Torrey Pines got off to its slowest start in five years; and more.
Lakers-Sixers up big on ESPN
Wednesday’s Lakers-Sixers NBA regular season game averaged 1.78 million viewers on ESPN, up 103% from the comparable game last January (Pistons-Nets: 876K), up 97% from 2019 (Pacers-Wizards: 903K), and the network’s most-watched non-Christmas game this season. The Timberwolves-Warriors nightcap inched up a hair — 0.3% — to 1.16 million.
On TNT Thursday night, Blazers-Rockets averaged 1.10 million and Warriors-Suns 1.20 million — up 22% and 50% respectively from last year’s comparable doubleheader (Warriors-Celtics: 904K; Jazz-Nuggets: 802K).
TNT and ESPN have now posted increases for two-thirds of their NBA windows this month (16 of 24*). * Excludes a Nuggets-Suns game on January 22 for which no comparison was available.
Torrey Pines gets off to slowest start in five years
Sans-Tiger Woods, Thursday’s opening round of the PGA Tour at Torrey Pines averaged 366,000 viewers on Golf Channel — down 27% from last year (499K), down a third from 2019 (546K) and the tournament’s smallest Thursday audience since 2016 (341K). Since hitting 782,000 in 2017, opening round viewership has declined in each subsequent year.
Plus: NHL, college hoops, The Jump
Blackhawks-Predators averaged 388,000 viewers on the latest edition of NBCSN Wednesday Night Hockey, up a hair from Predators-Capitals last year (387K) but down 21% from Lightning-Penguins in 2019 (494K). Islanders-Capitals scored 217,000 the previous night; there was no comparable window last year. … Tuesday’s Kentucky-Alabama men’s college basketball game averaged 958,000 viewers on ESPN, up 54% from last year (FSU-Virginia: 621K). The Georgia Tech-Duke nightcap had 667,000 (-9%). … A special two-hour edition of “The Jump” honoring the late Kobe Bryant averaged 229,000 viewers on Tuesday, up 26% from a regular one-hour edition the previous week (182K).
