Recent sports TV ratings, including mixed results for some early NBA semifinal games; a big finish for the Bruins; another record outing for the Women’s College World Series; a three-year low for the Memorial.
NBA semis a mixed bag early on
Wednesday’s Nuggets-Suns NBA second round Game 2 averaged 3.53 million viewers on TNT, per John Ourand of Sports Business Journal — up 1% from Blazers-Nuggets on the comparable night two years ago (3.51M). Viewership actually declined 18% from the comparable game in the “bubble,” with the caveat that last year’s game was a first round Game 7 (Thunder-Rockets: 4.29M).
On Tuesday, both Hawks-Sixers Game 2 and Clippers-Jazz Game 1 averaged 3.63 million viewers — down 18% and 41% respectively from the comparable 2019 doubleheader (Celtics-Bucks: 4.45M; Rockets-Warriors: 6.16M). Compared to last year in the “bubble,” Hawks-Sixers soared 93% over a late afternoon Celtics-Raptors Game 2 on ESPN (1.88M) and Clippers-Jazz increased 7% over a first round Jazz-Nuggets Game 7 on ABC (3.39M).
Seven of top eight Stanley Cup games have featured Bruins
Wednesday’s Bruins-Islanders Stanley Cup second round Game 6 averaged 1.48 million viewers on NBCSN, per Ourand, up 70% from Avalanche-Stars in the “bubble” last September (871K). It is unlikely that those figures include local simulcasts of the game on the NBC broadcast network in New York and Boston.
The now-eliminated Bruins have played in seven of the eight most-watched games this postseason, with Game 6 ranking sixth.
WCWS final posts largest Game 2 audience on record
Game 2 of the Oklahoma-FSU Women’s College World Series final averaged 2.08 million viewers on ESPN Wednesday night, marking the event’s largest Game 2 audience on record. The Sooners’ win, which peaked with 2.6 million from 8:45-9 PM ET, topped Game 1 the previous night to rank as the most-watched WCWS game overall since 2015 (Michigan-Florida: 2.27M).
It is almost certain that Game 2 will finish as the most-watched of the tournament, as Thursday’s deciding Game 3 aired during the afternoon.
Viewership increased 14% from the Game 2 of the previous WCWS final in 2019.
PGA Tour Memorial hits three-year low
Final round coverage of the PGA Tour Memorial tournament averaged 2.82 million viewers on CBS last Sunday, marking the tournament’s smallest final round audience in three years (2.35M). Viewership fell 12% from last year, when the tournament marked Tiger Woods’ return from hiatus (3.28M), and 5% from 2019 — when Woods finished in the top ten (2.96M).
Beyond the absence of Woods this year, the tournament had to contend with unusual competition from a Game 7 in the NBA Playoffs (Mavericks-Clippers: 5.49M).
[Nielsen estimates from Ourand/Twitter 6.9, 6.10, ESPN PR/Twitter 6.10, CBS Sports]
