Despite missing stars and a lopsided score, the much-hyped matchup between the Lakers and Nets scored for TNT. Plus: high marks for the UEFA Champions League and more.
Nets-Lakers up big on TNT
Thursday’s Nets-Lakers NBA regular season game averaged 1.94 million viewers on TNT, up 88% from Rockets-Warriors on the comparable February date last year (1.03M). Outside of opening week and holidays, it was the most-watched game of the season on cable. For the night, it was television’s top program in adults 18-34 (0.7) and ranked third in adults 18-49 (0.75).
Raptors-Bucks chipped in 1.13 million earlier in the night (-5%).
The previous night, ESPN averaged 1.05 million for Heat-Warriors and 749,000 for Rockets-Sixers. There were no games on the comparable Wednesday night last year, which coincided with the All-Star break.
Barca-PSG sets new UEFA round of 16 high
Tuesday’s Barcelona-Paris St. Germain UEFA Champions League round of 16 match averaged 1.07 million viewers on Univision, marking the largest audience on record for a round of 16 match on U.S. television. The previous record was set by Barcelona-Napoli last season.
In other soccer action, Thursday’s United States-Canada women’s soccer match averaged 498,000 on FS1 — the third-largest women’s soccer audience ever on the network, excluding the Women’s World Cup.
Plus: E:60, college hoops, NHL
Last Sunday’s ESPN E:60 special “Intimidator” — about the 2001 death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. — averaged 576,000 viewers, the series’ largest audience since April 2019 (649K). … ESPN averaged 648,000 viewers for Tuesday’s Michigan State-Purdue college basketball game (-14%) and 636,000 for Virginia-Florida State the previous night (-31%). … Red Wings-Blackhawks scored 439,000 on the latest edition of NBCSN’s NHL Wednesday Night Hockey, up 5% from last year (Rangers-Blackhawks: 417K). The Jets-Oilers nightcap chipped in 119,000.
[Nielsen estimates from Turner Sports PR/Twitter 2.19, Univision, Fox Sports, ShowBuzz Daily 2.17, 2.18, 2.19, 2.22]
