Ratings: NBA, college hoops, tennis and more

Nets-Warriors averaged a 1.8 rating and 3.17 million viewers on ABC’s NBA Saturday Primetime last weekend, marking the most-watched edition of the series since Warriors-Sixers in 2019 (3.63M). Golden State’s win, which peaked with 4.31 million viewers, increased 17% in ratings and 16% in viewership from Lakers-Celtics last year (1.6, 2.74M) and 69% and 91% respectively from Sixers-Celtics two years ago (1.1, 1.66M).

Both Saturday Primetime games this season have cracked the three million viewer mark, after none did so in the previous two seasons.

In other NBA action, ESPN averaged 1.27 million viewers for Grizzlies-Knicks Wednesday night — up 81% from Pacers-Bucks last year (701K) and up 27% from Magic-Celtics two years ago (997K). The Nuggets-Jazz nightcap drew just 855,000 (-13%), marking the fourth of eight Nuggets games on ESPN or TNT this season with fewer than one million viewers (more than any other team).

On Tuesday night, TNT drew 1.08 million for Nets-Suns and 779,000 for Wizards-Bucks — down 37% and 53% respectively from last year (Celtics-Warriors: 1.73M; Clippers-Nets: 1.66M) and down 23% and 38% respectively from two years ago (Spurs-Lakers: 1.40M; Bucks-Pelicans: 1.25M).

College basketball’s Big 12-SEC Challenge averaged 778,000 viewers across the ESPN family of networks, up 22% from last year. That figure includes an average of 1.5 million for ESPN’s Saturday quadrupleheader, a five-year high. Kentucky-Kansas was the top game, averaging a 1.3 rating and 2.17 million viewers — up 94% in ratings and 74% in viewership from Kansas-Tennessee last year (0.9, 1.25M).

In other college basketball action, CBS averaged a 1.35 and 2.28 million for Ohio State-Purdue leading into the AFC Championship Game last Sunday — up 52% and 57% respectively from Michigan State-Ohio State with no such lead-out last year (0.9, 1.45M).

Last Saturday’s Australian Open men’s final (Rafael Nadal-Daniil Medvedev) averaged a 0.44 rating and 690,000 viewers on ESPN, up 63% in ratings and 56% in viewership from last year (Novak Djokovic-Medvedev: 0.27, 441K) and the most-watched men’s final at the tournament since Nadal’s 2017 loss to Roger Federer (1.1M).

The previous night’s women’s final (Ashleigh Barty-Danielle Collins) posted a 0.32 and 482,000, up 7% and 1% respectively from last year (Naomi Osaka-Jennifer Brady: 0.30, 478K).

The full tournament averaged a 0.22 and 357,000, up 22% and 31% respectively from last year, when the tournament took place several weeks later than usual (0.18, 273K). Keep in mind that the linear ESPN networks aired far fewer overnight hours than in previous years.

Airing on a Saturday to avoid the NFL, final round coverage of the PGA Tour at Torrey Pines was the least-watched in six years with a 1.7 rating and 2.66 million viewers on CBS — down 15% from last year’s Sunday finish (2.0, 3.12M). Third round coverage last Friday also hit a six-year viewer low with a 0.95 (-25%) and 1.41 million (-30%). Viewership also sank for the Wednesday opening round (254K, -31%) and Thursday second round (402K, -9%) on Golf Channel. … TNT averaged 315,000 viewers for Wild-Blackhawks and 275,000 for Oilers-Capitals in its latest NHL doubleheader, the former down 50% but the latter up 54% from last year’s comparable windows on NBCSN (Bruins-Flyers: 633K; Red Wings-Lightning: 179K). … Wednesday’s USMNT World Cup qualifier against Honduras averaged 843,000 on FS1, trailing only their match against Mexico as their most-watched game of the qualifying cycle. … The NBC broadcast network portion of the IMSA 24 Hours of Daytona auto race averaged a 0.7 rating and 964,000 viewers last Sunday, flat in ratings but down 22% in viewership from last year (0.7, 1.23M). This year’s coverage aired earlier in the day to avoid the NFL.