The penultimate game of the Knicks-Pacers series led a busy day of sports viewership for Friday, May 17.
Friday’s Knicks-Pacers second round NBA playoff Game 6 averaged 5.02 million viewers on ESPN, down 8% from Knicks-Heat last year (5.44M), but still the most-watched sportscast of the day. After opening with a pair of increases for Games 1 and 2, the subsequent four Knicks-Pacers games declined from last year’s equivalent windows.
Figures for Sunday’s Game 7, won by Indiana, will be posted when available. Through Friday, NBA playoff games were averaging 3.62 million viewers across ESPN, ABC, TNT/truTV and NBA TV — down 14% from the same point last year (4.19M).
Placing second for the day among sportscasts, the Panthers’ series-clinching win over the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Playoffs averaged a combined 2.2 million across TNT (1.90M) and truTV (304K) — up 61% from Panthers-Maple Leafs last year (1.36M) and the second-largest audience of the playoffs. The Bruins, who were eliminated by the Panthers for a second-straight year, have played in the three most-watched games of the postseason and four of the top six.
The Stars-Avalanche nightcap followed with a combined 1.53 million (TNT: 1.29M; truTV: 242K), up 45% from Oilers-Golden Knights a year ago (1.05M).
Through Friday, Stanley Cup playoff games were averaging 1.15 million viewers across the ESPN and Turner networks — up 12% from the same number of days last postseason (1.03M).
Further down the dial, ESPN averaged 1.61 million viewers for second round coverage of the PGA Championship — up 18% from last year (1.37M) and up 44% from first round coverage the prior day (1.12M). The PGA attracted unusual attention Friday due to the shocking arrest earlier that day of #1 ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler as he tried to enter the golf course.
SportsCenter came on air early to break the Scheffler story and averaged 330,000 viewers, up 52% from the same early morning edition the previous day (217K). That led into Get Up! at 434,000 (+34%) and First Take at 565,000 (+24%). SportsCenter continued on ESPN2 with 151,000 in the 8 AM hour (+160%), 268,000 at 9 AM (+215%) and 281,000 at 10 AM (+187%), leading into a betting-themed PGA Championship window at 323,000 — up 97% from Thursday (164K) — and a “No Laying Up” alternate presentation at 155,000 (+74%).
Further down the dial, NASCAR Cup Series qualifying from North Wilkesboro averaged 369,000 and MLB Network drew 249,000 for a late night Major League Baseball window. The NCAA softball tournament topped out at 166,000 for both Michigan-Kentucky on ESPN2 and Cleveland State-Oklahoma on ESPNU. An Illinois-Purdue regular season college baseball game had just 20,000 on BTN, preceded by Nebraska-Michigan State at 19,000.
Friday, May 17 sports ratings
Updated chart:
Original chart below:
