Ratings roundup — mixed results for the NBA Play-in Tournament; a strong outing for Red Sox-Yankees; a Sunday afternoon high for the NHL on TNT; fewer viewers for the Frozen Four.
NBA Play-in games up Tuesday, down Wednesday
Not including Friday’s games, figures for which are not yet available, Clippers-Timberwolves averaged the largest audience of the NBA Play-in Tournament with 2.70 million on TNT Tuesday night — the network’s most-watched game since Opening Night and the 14th-largest audience of the season regardless of network. The Cavaliers-Nets lead-in ranked second at 2.48 million. The Tuesday night average of 2.6 million increased 31% from last year’s equivalent games (1.9M).
On Wednesday, ESPN averaged 2.44 million for Spurs-Pelicans and 2.11 million for Hornets-Hawks, down at least 57% and 8% respectively from last year’s equivalent windows — a much-hyped clash between the Warriors and Lakers (5.62M) and Spurs-Grizzlies (2.29M).
Red Sox-Yankees strong for ESPN; “Kay-Rod” outpaces Statcast
The season premiere of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball — Red Sox-Yankees last weekend — averaged a 1.4 rating and 2.48 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN2, marking the largest audience for the Sunday night series since 2018. Figures include a 0.15 and 264,000 for the debut of the Michael Kay-Alex Rodriguez “KayRod” simulcast on ESPN2, the largest audience yet for an alternate presentation of regular season baseball on ESPN.
Ratings increased 28% and viewership as much as 33% from the first Sunday night window last year, White Sox-Angels (0.9, 1.61M, pending revision).
In other action, FS1 averaged a 0.35 and 606,000 for Red Sox-Yankees last Saturday — the network’s most-watched season opener since it began carrying Major League games in 2014. FS1 also drew 356,000 for Mets-Phillies on Monday.
TBS debuted its new Tuesday night package with just 173,000 for Padres-Giants Tuesday night. Only three of the network’s Sunday windows last season averaged fewer viewers, each airing opposite the NFL. Tuesday’s games faced competing NBA Play-in action on TNT.
Sunday afternoon NHL starting to pick up for TNT
Despite facing the final round of the Masters, TNT averaged its two largest Sunday afternoon audiences of the NHL season last weekend, scoring a 0.28 rating and 487,000 viewers for Bruins-Capitals and a 0.25 and 462,000 for Predators-Penguins. The previous Sunday high was 349,000 for Islanders-Devils the previous weekend.
TNT’s usual Wednesday doubleheader was not as strong a draw, with Rangers-Flyers at 361,000 and Kings-Avalanche chipping in 265,000.
Over on ESPN/ABC, Capitals-Penguins drew a 0.42 rating and 778,000 viewers on ABC Hockey Saturday last weekend — the network’s sixth-straight game with fewer than one million viewers. Dating back to NBC’s final season with the league last year, 15 of the last 19 NHL regular season windows on broadcast TV have failed to crack the million mark.
ESPN posted a season-low 213,000 for Lightning-Stars on Tuesday, preceded by Penguins-Capitals at 257,000. Facing no NBA competition on Thursday, Wild-Stars held up better at 415,000.
NCAA men’s hockey final dips in move from ESPN2 to ESPN
Last Saturday’s NCAA men’s hockey national championship (Denver-Minnesota State) averaged a 0.21 rating and 404,000 viewers on ESPN2, down 9% in ratings and at least 7% in viewership from last year on ESPN (UMass-St. Cloud: 0.23, 435K), but up from the last time it aired on ESPN2 in 2019.
Shifting to the semifinals, Denver-Michigan drew a 0.13 and 255,000 on ESPN2 April 7, more-than-doubling St. Cloud-Minnesota State in the same window last year (117K*). Bumped to ESPNU by MLB Opening Day coverage, the Minnesota State-Minnesota nightcap drew 169,000 — down sharply from UMass-Minnesota Duluth on ESPN2 last year (266K).
