Ratings roundup — a mixed start for the ALCS; more gains for NBA opening week; a viewer high with NASCAR (with a caveat); and more declines for the NHL.
Mixed start for latest Yankees-Astros ALCS
Thursday’s Yankees-Astros American League Championship Series Game 2 averaged a 3.3 rating and 5.89 million viewers on TBS, marking the highest rated and most-watched LCS Game 2 since the same matchup on FOX in 2017 (3.8, 6.22M). Ratings and viewership jumped double-digits from last year’s Saturday afternoon ALCS Game 2 on FOX and FS1 (2.7, ~5M).
Game 1 on Wednesday was a different story, averaging a 3.1 and 5.49 million — topping only Astros-Rays two years ago (~2M) as the least-watched ALCS opener since 2016 (Blue Jays-Indians: 4.12).
In the National League, Phillies-Padres Game 2 averaged a combined 4.84 million viewers across FOX and FS1 Wednesday afternoon — down slightly from last year’s primetime Dodgers-Braves Game 2 on TBS (~5M).
NBA gains continue past Opening Night
Five of the first six NBA games on national TV this season have posted an increase in viewership over last year, with four of those five up by double-digits. Thursday’s Clippers-Lakers game averaged 2.10 million viewers on TNT — up 21% from Clippers-Warriors last year (1.73M) — preceded by Bucks-Sixers at 1.57 million (+46%).
On Wednesday night, Mavericks-Suns drew 1.63 million on ESPN — up 18% from Nuggets-Suns last year (1.38M). The Knicks-Grizzlies lead-in was the exception to the rule with 1.45 million, down 27% from last year’s double-overtime Celtics-Knicks game (1.99M).
NASCAR Vegas playoff race hits viewer high with move to broadcast
Last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series playoff race from Las Vegas averaged a 1.6 rating and 2.62 million viewers on NBC, marking the largest audience in the young history of the race, with the caveat that it had not previously aired on broadcast TV. The previous high was 2.38 million for the 2019 edition on NBCSN.
Joey Logano’s win was the first Cup Series race to post an increase in ratings or viewership since Watkins Glen in August.
NHL continues to see early declines
Tuesday’s Flyers-Lightning NHL regular season game averaged a 0.28 rating and 494,000 viewers on ESPN and Flyers-Panthers the following night a 0.20 and 338,000 on TNT, both down double-digits from last year’s equivalent games. In the respective nightcaps, Kings-Predators drew 339,000 viewers and Blues-Kraken 300,000. Six of seven NHL games on national TV this season have posted a decline in both ratings and viewership.
(Nielsen estimates from Programming Insider 10.19, 10.20, 10.21, ShowBuzz Daily 10.18)
