The NBA dominated cable last week, as playoff games were the seven highest rated programs of the week.
All but one of the NBA Playoff games televised last week finished with at least a 3.0 national rating and 4 million viewers. NBA Playoff games were the only programs on cable last week to finish with at least a 3.0 national rating. The lone dud was Pistons/Magic Game 5, which finished #40 for the week with 2.8 million viewers.
Cavaliers/Celtics Game 5 and Jazz/Lakers Game 5, both televised by TNT last Wednesday, finished in a tie for the top spot. Both games drew a 3.6 rating, up 71% and 9% respectively from last year’s comparable doubleheader featuring Nets/Cavaliers and Spurs/Suns.
Both games also finished as the only programs on cable to draw more than 5 million viewers last week. Jazz/Lakers averaged 5.5 million, and Cavaliers/Celtics drew 5.4.
Two more Cavaliers/Celtics games finished #3 and #4 for the week. Game 6 of the series drew a 3.3 rating with 4.9 million viewers on ESPN Friday night, up 120% from a 1.5 for Cavaliers/Nets Game 6 last year. Game 4 drew a 3.3 with 4.8 million on TNT Monday, up 10% from Suns/Spurs Game 4.
Three Western Conference games round out the top seven, with Lakers/Jazz Game 6 drawing a 3.2 on ESPN Friday, and Spurs/Hornets Games 5 and 6 averaging ratings of 3.1 and 3.0 on TNT Tuesday and ESPN Thursday, respectively.
Overall, eight NBA Playoff games averaged a 3.1 national rating on cable last week, up 24% from a 2.5 average for nine games during the comparable week last year.
On a related note, Cavaliers/Celtics Game 7 finished with a 5.7 national rating and 8.7 million viewers on ABC Sunday afternoon, up 84% and 98%, respectively, from a 3.1 with 4.4 million for Jazz/Spurs last year. Compared to Cavaliers/Pistons Game 7 two years ago, the game was down 7% in ratings and 1% in total viewers.
Ratings for NBA Playoff games on cable last week.
3.3: Celtics/Cavaliers Game 4 (Mon., 5/12, 8 PM TNT); up 10% from PHX/SA Gm 4 in ’07.
2.0: Magic/Pistons Game 5 (Tue., 5/13, 7 PM TNT); down 13% from CHI/DET Gm 5 in ’07.
3.1: Spurs/Hornets Game 5 (Tue., 5/13, 9:30 PM TNT); up 7% from GS/UTA Gm 5 in ’07.
3.6: Cavaliers/Celtics Game 5 (Wed., 5/14, 8 PM TNT); up 71% from NJ/CLE Gm 5 in ’07.
3.6: Jazz/Lakers Game 5 (Wed., 5/14, 10:30 PM TNT); up 9% from SA/PHX Gm 5 in ’07.
3.0: Hornets/Spurs Game 6 (Thu., 5/15, 9 PM ESPN); up 20% from DET/CHI Gm 6 in ’07.
3.3: Celtics/Cavaliers Game 6 (Fri., 5/16, 8 PM ESPN); up 120% from CLE/NJ Gm 6 in ’07.
3.2: Lakers/Jazz Game 6 (Fri., 5/16, 10:30 PM ESPN); up 3% from PHX/SA Gm 6 in ’07.
Magic/Pistons ratings/viewers data courtesy Robert Seidman.
