After stumbling on Opening Night, the NBA has recovered to its best start in six years. Plus: a solid sampling for ESPN’s NHL “Frozen Frenzy,” a three-year low for the F1 USGP.
NBA off to best start in six years
The first three nights of the NBA season averaged 2.57 million viewers across TNT and ESPN, up 13% from last year and the highest three-night average since 2017. On Thursday, TNT averaged 2.30 million for Suns-Lakers and 2.04 million for Sixers-Bucks — up 9 and 30 percent respectively from last year’s equivalent windows involving three of the same four teams (Clippers-Lakers: 2.10M; Bucks-Sixers: 1.57M).
After viewership declined 16% for Opening Night on Tuesday, the two subsequent nights increased 80 and 18 percent respectively from last year.
All six games on ESPN and TNT this season have averaged at least two million viewers, the longest streak to start a season since 2013-14.
Solid sampling for ESPN’s NHL “Frozen Frenzy”
Tuesday’s NHL “Frozen Frenzy” averaged 432,000 viewers on ESPN (tripleheader) and 196,000 on ESPN2 (whiparound coverage), compared to 562,000 for a traditional doubleheader on ESPN alone last year. ESPN and ESPN2 combined to peak at 918,000 viewers from 9:15-9:30 PM ET.
Bruins-Blackhawks was the top game of the tripleheader with a 0.31 rating and 526,000 viewers, down 24% in ratings and 30% in viewership from Avalanche-Rangers last year (0.41, 750K), with the caveat that the game overlapped fully with the ESPN2 whiparound show. The Flyers-Golden Knights nightcap was also down double-digits (-13%) to 278,000. Maple Leafs-Capitals started the day off with a 0.26 and 475,000, the largest cable audience for a game involving a Canadian team since 2017.
On TNT Wednesday, Capitals-Devils drew a 0.25 and 452,000 on TNT — down 11% and 18% respectively from last year’s Rangers-Islanders game (0.28, 550).
F1 USGP hits low, tops NASCAR in younger demos
Last weekend’s Formula 1 United States Grand Prix averaged 1.17 million viewers on ABC, down 13% from last year (1.34M) and the lowest since 2019. Keep in mind Max Verstappen had already clinched this year’s championship before the race was held.
Airing in an overlapping window, the NASCAR playoffs from Homestead-Miami averaged a 1.3 and 2.25 million — down a tick in ratings and 3% in viewership from last year (1.4, 2.31M) and the smallest audience for the race since at least 2001. Keep in mind Homestead was for years the final race of the season.
The F1 race comfortably outdrew NASCAR in adults 18-49 (424K to 339K) and 18-34 (173K to 142K) and ranked not far behind in 25-54 (511K to 520K).
(Nielsen estimates from WBD PR, ESPN PR, this website 10.24, Sports TV Ratings 10.26, 10.27, Programming Insider 10.26)
