The NBA topped the Mother’s Day sports viewership slate with a pair of second round playoff games.
Sunday’s Nuggets-Timberwolves second round NBA playoff Game 4 averaged a 2.8 rating and 5.61 million viewers on TNT, the top sports audience of the day and the third-largest of the NBA Playoffs. Denver’s win increased 13% in ratings and 19% in viewership over Suns-Nuggets in the same window last year. All eight Timberwolves games this postseason have increased over last year’s equivalent window.
The NBA took the top two spots on Sunday as Knicks-Pacers averaged a 2.5 and 5.03 million on ABC, down 7% and 1% respectively from Celtics-Sixers on ESPN a year ago. More details on the weekend NBA playoff ratings are available here.
Outside of the NBA Playoffs, Sunday’s top sportscast was the final round of the PGA Tour Charlotte tournament on CBS at a 1.6 and 2.78 million — the largest audience for the event since 2021. Rory McIlroy’s win increased 25% in ratings and 34% in viewership from last year (1.3, 2.07M).
NASCAR Cup Series action from Darlington ranked not far behind the golf with a 1.4 and 2.63 million on FS1 — flat in ratings and down 2% in viewership from last year (1.4, 2.69M).
Shifting to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, TBS and truTV combined to average a 1.0 and 2.18 million for Panthers-Bruins Game 4 — trailing only Maple Leafs-Bruins Game 7 in the first round as the most-watched game of the NHL season. The Oilers-Canucks nightcap lost more than half of its lead-in with a 0.51 and 919,000. See this article for more on the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Further down the dial, ESPN averaged a 0.8 and 1.49 million for Braves-Mets on Sunday Night Baseball — down 18% and 16% respectively from Cardinals-Red Sox last year (1.0, 1.77M).
Liga MX topped the soccer slate with a 0.42 and 1.00 million for Cruz Azul-UNAM on Univision. The Manchester United-Arsenal English Premier League match was much further back at a 0.24 and 459,000 on Telemundo, with the caveat that no figures were reported for English-language coverage on Peacock. MLS scored 0.15 and 300,000 for Timbers-Sounders on FOX — trailing only Inter Miami-Orlando in March (441K) as the most-watched match of the season — while ION drew a 0.09 and 160,000 for Gotham FC-San Diego NWSL action.
In the UFL, ESPN drew a 0.38 and 665,000 for Michigan-DC and a 0.28 and 572,000 for San Antonio-Houston.
Sunday, May 12 sports ratings
