Knicks-Sixers ended on a strong note as Game 6 delivered cable’s top first round NBA playoff audience in six years.
Thursday’s Knicks-Sixers first round NBA playoff Game 6 averaged a combined 5.09 million viewers across TNT (4.74M) and truTV (349K), marking the largest first round audience on cable in six years — since Cavaliers-Pacers Game 4 on TNT in 2018 (6.07M). The previous high was 5.04 million for Clippers-Suns Game 1 a year ago, also on TNT.
The Knicks’ series-clinching win increased 71% from Celtics-Hawks Game 6 on the equivalent night of last year’s postseason, which aired opposite night one of the NFL Draft (2.98M).
The game averaged an additional 534,000 viewers across NBC Sports Philadelphia (280K) and MSG Network in New York (254K), bringing the combined local and national audience to 5.63 million.
Earlier in the night, Bucks-Pacers Game 6 drew 2.66 million. The breakdown was 2.58 million on TNT and just 80,000 for a betting-themed alternate presentation on truTV. The two betting-themed altcasts so far this postseason have both failed to crack the 100,000 mark.
The first round of the NBA Playoffs is now averaging 3.09 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, TNT/truTV and NBA TV, down just 3% from last year (3.19M).
In other playoff action Thursday, TBS averaged 1.44 million for Bruins-Maple Leafs Game 6 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs — nearly doubling Lightning-Maple Leafs in the same window last year (723K), which overlapped with a competing Rangers-Devils game on ESPN2. Even including that competing game, this year’s viewership outpaced the combined 1.33 million who were watching in that window a year ago.
With all of the playoff action on the Turner networks, ESPN and ESPN2 both aired the Alabama-Auburn college softball match and averaged a combined 310,000.
Further down the dial, a Madrid Open match between Grand Slam champions Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka averaged 214,000 on Tennis Channel. The opening round of the PGA Tour Byron Nelson Championship drew 204,000 on Golf Channel. MLB topped out at 180,000 for matinee action featuring Yankees-Orioles.
Thursday, May 2 sports ratings
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