Before the Western Conference Playoffs became largely uncompetitive, the much hyped games gave TNT and ESPN a major shot in the arm.
Three NBA Playoff games finished in the top 20 most watched cable shows for last week, with six games finishing in the top 40. The three most watched games were all in the Western Conference, including two games from the Spurs/Suns series.
Game 2 between the Spurs and Suns drew a 3.0 national rating and 4.4 million viewers on TNT last Tuesday, up 50% from a 2.0 rating for Lakers/Suns Game 2 on the comparable night a year before. In the past two years, only three first round games have drawn a higher rating on cable — Suns/Lakers Game 6 and 7 in ’06, and Mavericks/Warriors Game 6 in ’07.
Game 3 of the series, a blowout that saw San Antonio take a 3-0 lead in the series, drew a 2.5 national rating and 3.9 million viewers on ESPN Friday night. The 2.5 marks a 14% increase over Mavericks/Warriors Game 3 last year.
Joining the two Spurs/Suns games in the top 20 was Game 4 between the Hornets and Mavericks. The game, which New Orleans won to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series, drew a 2.5 national rating with 3.7 million viewers — up 4% from Mavericks/Warriors Game 4 on the comparable date a year ago.
Overall, ratings for the NBA Playoffs on TNT are up 20% from last year. Through the first eight days of the playoffs, TNT has averaged a 2.1 rating, and has seen increases of at least 30% in key demographics.
