Ratings: NBA, NASCAR, NHL and more

Despite the absence of Stephen Curry, Wednesday’s Suns-Warriors NBA regular season game averaged 1.69 million viewers on ESPN — up as much as 68% from Nets-Jazz last year (1.01M*). It was preceded by Heat-Celtics at 1.38 million, up as much as 39% (vs. Celtics-Bucks: 990K*). Ratings were not immediately available.

On Thursday, TNT drew a 0.9 rating and 1.53 million viewers for Bucks-Nets, up 72% in ratings and as much as 85% in viewership (vs. Blazers-Heat: 0.54, 826K*). Lakers-Jazz followed at 1.28 million, up as much as 18% (vs. Sixers-Lakers: 1.08M*).

Rounding out the recent NBA slate, Lakers-Mavericks drew a mere 0.59 and 991,000 on TNT Tuesday night — still up a tick in ratings and as much as 8% in viewership from Lakers-Pelicans last year (0.58, 920K*). Jazz-Clippers was even lower at 945,000 (-5%*).

NASCAR Cup Series racing from Circuit of the Americas (Austin, Texas) averaged a 2.2 rating and 3.73 million viewers on FOX last Sunday — up 56% in ratings and as much as 58% in viewership from last year’s inaugural edition of the race, which aired on FS1 in late May (1.4, 2.36M*). All six Cup Series events this season have increased over the previous edition of the race, a number that rises to seven including the preseason “Clash” at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

The race, which aired opposite NCAA Tournament Elite Eight games, unsurprisingly ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched of the young season. There was no race on the comparable Sunday last year, as the Bristol Dirt Race was postponed to Monday due to rain.

Blackhawks-Golden Knights drew a 0.38 rating and 651,000 viewers on last weekend’s edition of ABC Hockey Saturday, marking the network’s lowest rated and least-watched game of the season. The previous game also involved the Blackhawks — against Philadelphia three weeks earlier (0.39, 664K).

In addition to the season-low, last week’s game posted the third-lowest NHL rating ever on broadcast television, topping only NBC’s final two games last season (Lightning-Red Wings: 0.34; regional action: 0.31).

Shifting to TNT, Rangers-Red Wings drew 433,000 viewers and Golden Knights-Kraken 276,000 on Wednesday night — up as much as 49% and 26% respectively from last year on NBCSN (Flyers-Sabres: 290K*; Kings-Golden Knights: 219K*).

TNT also drew a 0.17 and 297,000 for Lightning-Islanders last Sunday, up as much as 80% in viewership from Blue Jackets-Red Wings on NBCSN last year (165K*).

Last weekend’s Northwest Missouri State-Augusta NCAA men’s Division II basketball championship scored a 0.9 rating and 1.38 million viewers on CBS, the largest audience for the game in 11 years (2011: 1.42M). … Thursday’s Xavier-Texas A&M NIT Tournament final drew a 0.59 and 961,000 on ESPN, the largest audience for the game since 2017 (TCU-Georgia Tech: 1.08M). … Final round coverage of the PGA Tour/WGC Match Play earned a 1.2 and 1.97 million on NBC last Sunday, down 23% in ratings and at least 27% in viewership from last year (1.6, 2.69M*). Saturday coverage scored a 1.1 and 1.81 million, up 9% and as much as 19% from last year (1.0, 1.52M*). … Last Sunday’s United States-Panama FIFA World Cup qualifier drew a 0.55 and 1.04 million on FS1, trailing only two matches against Mexico as the most-watched USMNT match of the World Cup cycle.