Even with college basketball starting to take center stage this week, the NBA attracted good numbers on ESPN and ABC.
Sunday’s Celtics/Lakers NBA regular season game drew a 2.6 final rating and 4.049 million viewers on ABC, up 86% in ratings and 93% in viewership from Magic/Suns last year (1.4, 2.101M), and up 8% and 6%, respectively, from Celtics/Cavaliers in 2010 (2.4, 3.808M).
The telecast ranks as the highest rated NBA game on NCAA ‘Selection Sunday’ since Knicks/Lakers on NBC in 2002 (3.2, 4.607M), a game that began after 6 PM ET.
Despite the increase, Celtics/Lakers ranks as the least-viewed NBA telecast of the season on ABC (nine telecasts). The previous low was 4.069 million for Bulls/Celtics in February.
So far this season, every NBA telecast on ABC has drawn at least a 2.6 rating and four million viewers, an impressive feat considering that four games drew lower numbers through the comparable point of last season.
Bulls/Heat Ranks Among Ten Most-Viewed NBA Games on ESPN: Opposite the NCAA Tournament ‘First Four’, Wednesday’s Heat/Bulls NBA regular season game drew a 2.2 U.S. rating and 3.224 million viewers — up 83% and 88%, respectively, from Mavericks/Warriors in a later timeslot last year (1.2, 1.719M).
The game ranks as the eighth-most viewed NBA regular season telecast on ESPN since the network resumed airing games in the 2002-03 season.
Ratings/Viewership For NBA on ABC
During the 2011-12 NBA season
| Date | Game | Net | Rating | +/- | Viewers (000) | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun., 12/25/11 | Heat/Mavericks | ABC |
4.9
|
+7%
|
9,023
|
+4%
|
| Bulls/Lakers | ABC |
5.6
|
-13%
|
11,014
|
-16%
|
|
| Sun., 1/29/12 | Bulls/Heat | ABC |
3.5
|
-19%
|
5,699
|
-19%
|
| Sun., 2/12/12 | Bulls/Celtics | ABC |
2.6
|
-26%
|
4,069
|
-28%
|
| Sun., 2/19/12 | Mavericks/Knicks | ABC |
3.8
|
—
|
5,916
|
—
|
| Magic/Heat | ABC |
3.4
|
—
|
5,496
|
—
|
|
| Sun., 3/4/12 | Knicks/Celtics | ABC |
3.3
|
+10%
|
4,996
|
+5%
|
| Heat/Lakers | ABC |
4.3
|
+34%
|
6,997
|
+37%
|
|
| Sun., 3/11/12 | Celtics/Lakers | ABC |
2.6
|
+86%
|
4,049
|
+93%
|
(Sunday/Wednesday numbers obtained from ESPN)
