The Thunder/Mavericks NBA playoff series was not surprisingly a dud in Dallas and a hit in Oklahoma City. In other news, ABC earned one of its largest Nationwide Series audiences ever on Saturday.
- Defending Champs Are Chumps in Local TV Ratings: Game 4 of the Thunder/Mavericks NBA playoff series drew a 6.4 combined rating on TNT (2.2) and Fox Sports Southwest (4.2) in the Dallas-Ft. Worth market Saturday night, down 37% from Game 3 two nights earlier (10.2), and the lowest rated game of the series. Entering Game 4, ratings for the Thunder/Mavericks series had already dropped 10% from Mavericks/Trail Blazers last year. (Dallas Morning News [1], [2])
- Series Does Well in Oklahoma City: While the Thunder/Mavericks series was a dud in Dallas, the Oklahoma City market watched in big numbers. The four-game series averaged a 20.5 rating locally, up 28% from Thunder/Nuggets last year (16.0). Game 4 drew a combined 17.5 rating on TNT (9.7) and Fox Sports Oklahoma (7.8), actually down slightly from Thunder/Nuggets Game 4 on a Monday night last year (17.6). Game 3 last Thursday night was the highest rated of the series, with a combined 22.6 on TNT (13.5) and FS Oklahoma (9.1). (The Oklahoman)
- ABC Earns Third-Best Nationwide Series Audience: Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series Aaron’s 312 from Talladega drew a 2.3 rating and 3.501 million viewers on ABC, up 28% in ratings and 19% in viewership from the same race on ESPN2 last year (1.8, 2.938M), and up 5% and 1%, respectively, compared to the first ABC race of last season — the March 5 Sam’s Town 300 from Las Vegas (2.2, 3.459M). The race stands as the third-most viewed NASCAR Nationwide Series telecast on ABC since the network began televising races in 2007. (ESPN)
