Sports viewership for Tuesday, November 28, including a big finish for NBA In-Season Tournament group play and mixed results for the new ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
On the final night of NBA In-Season Tournament group play, Warriors-Kings averaged 2.00 million viewers on TNT — up 36% from Lakers-Suns last year (1.47M) and the most-watched tournament game thus far (16 telecasts). Across all NBA games this season, the Kings’ comeback win ranks eighth in viewership behind six Opening Week games and Bucks-Celtics on ESPN last Wednesday (2.03M).
The Bucks-Heat lead-in averaged 1.32 million, down 11% from Nets-Sixers a year ago (1.48M). The two NBA games were the most-watched sporting events on cable (and presumably all of television) for Tuesday, November 28. (Broadcast network figures were not immediately available.)
The complete group stage of the NBA In-Season Tournament averaged 1.35 million across ESPN (eight games), TNT (six) and NBA TV (two), 24% higher than the non-tournament average this season (1.09M), with the caveat that NBA TV accounts for a far greater number of non-tournament games (21 of 39). Excluding NBA TV, group play averaged 1.49 million on ESPN and TNT — down 24% from the non-tournament average (1.95M) and still down 9% with Opening Week excluded (1.63M).
Compared to last year’s equivalent windows, In-Season Tournament viewership on ESPN and TNT has increased 26% from an average of 1.18 million. The networks’ non-tournament games have increased only 5% (from 1.86 to 1.95M). The overall season average on ESPN and TNT this season is up 11% (from 1.58 to 1.75 million).
Shifting to the college game, Kentucky’s rout of Miami in the new ACC-SEC Challenge averaged 1.15 million on ESPN — up 40% from Syracuse-Illinois in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge last year (821K). Clemson-Alabama followed with 555,000, down 42% from West Virginia-Michigan a year ago (959K). The latest College Football Playoff rankings show led-in with 1.08 million.
On ESPN2, LSU-Syracuse drew 250,000 (+8%) and NC State-Mississippi chipped in 175,000 (-10%). As for the Big Ten, Texas Southern-Purdue drew 212,000 and Georgia Southern-Michigan State 188,000 in a BTN doubleheader.
Tuesday, November 28 sports viewership
