The NBA Playoffs and NASCAR went one-two in a competitive midday window to top the Sunday, April 21 sports ratings charts.
Sunday’s Mavericks-Clippers NBA playoff game averaged a 2.6 rating and 4.66 million viewers on ABC, down 11% and 16% respectively from Lakers-Grizzlies last year (3.0, 5.54M), but still the largest sports audience of the day. The full slate of Sunday NBA games averaged a 2.2 and 3.97 million, down a tick and 8% respectively from last year (2.3, 4.34M). For more details on the opening weekend NBA playoff ratings, see the preceding link.
The day’s two most-watched sportscasts aired directly opposite each other as NASCAR Cup Series racing from Talladega drew a 2.4 and 4.31 million on FOX. Tyler Reddick’s win declined 7% and 5% respectively from last year to rank as the least-watched edition of the race — excluding the COVID year of 2020 — since it began airing on FOX in 2001. More details are available in this link.
Further down the list, rain-affected coverage of the PGA Tour Heritage tournament drew a 1.3 and 2.15 million on CBS — down by nearly half from last year (2.5, 4.15M). The competing final round of the LPGA Tour Dinah Shore Championship — the season’s first major — drew a 0.6 and 900,000 on NBC, flat in ratings but down 3% in viewership from a a year ago (0.6, 929K).
ESPN drew a 0.9 and 1.62 million for Rangers-Braves on Sunday Night Baseball, up 26% and 24% respectively from Mets-Giants last year (0.7, 1.31M) and continuing a strong start to the season. Sunday Night Baseball is now averaging 1.74 million viewers this season, up 30% from a year ago (1.33M).
Leading into baseball, ESPN scored a 0.6 and 1.34 million for a Capitals-Rangers Stanley Cup playoff Game 1, marking the largest audience on record for a first round opener on cable. The previous high was set just a day earlier by Maple Leafs-Bruins on TBS and truTV (1.14M). Despite airing on ESPN2 opposite ESPN’s baseball game, Avalanche-Jets drew a 0.6 and 1.09 million — placing third among first round openers on cable. For more on the Stanley Cup playoff ratings, see the preceding link.
In other action, CBS drew a 0.45 and 712,000 for PBR bull riding, the series’ smallest CBS audience since December 30 (five intervening telecasts). A Liverpool-Fulham English Premier League match drew a 0.42 and 772,000 across USA (0.26, 465K) and Telemundo (0.16, 3.07K), while ESPN Deportes scored its top La Liga audience of the season with a 0.25 and 507,000 for Real Madrid-Barcelona. A Charlotte-Minnesota MLS match had a mere 0.04 and 88,000 on FS1, followed by LA Galaxy-San Jose at a combined 0.04 and 60,000 across FS1 and Fox Deportes.
The IndyCar Series from Long Beach drew a 0.17 and 307,000 on USA Network, plummeting from last year on NBC (0.6, 1.03M). In the first UFL game on FS1, Arlington-Houston averaged a 0.13 and 243,000 — easily the lowest of the season.
Rounding out the day’s action, a UCLA-Stanford college softball game drew a 0.13 and 223,000 on ESPN2, preceded by LSU-Tennessee at a 0.10 and 168,000.
Sunday, April 21 sports ratings
