Both NBA playoff games on ABC last weekend suffered declines from last year, but Heat/Pacers earned good numbers.
Game 4 of the Heat/Pacers second round NBA playoff series drew a 4.8 final rating and 7.625 million viewers on ABC Sunday afternoon, down 9% in ratings and 14% in viewership from Lakers/Mavericks Game 4 last year (5.3, 8.886M), but up 14% and 16%, respectively, from Cavaliers/Celtics Game 4 in 2010 (4.2, 6.580M).
Despite the decline, the game ranks as the sixth-most viewed afternoon NBA playoff game on ABC since the network resumed airing games in the 2002-03 season.
Overall, Sunday’s Game 4 ranks as the second-most viewed game of the postseason, trailing only Lakers/Thunder Game 5 on TNT Monday night (8.149M).
On Saturday, Game 3 of the Spurs/Clippers series drew an extremely low 2.3 and 3.182 million viewers — down 4% in ratings and 13% in viewership from Thunder/Grizzlies Game 3 in a later window last year (2.4, 3.677M, ESPN), but up 64% and 59%, respectively, from Magic/Hawks Game 3 in a later window two years ago (1.4, 2.006M, ESPN).
The game ranks as the fifth-lowest rated and sixth-least viewed NBA playoff game on ABC since the network resumed airing games in 2002-03.
Only Nets/Cavaliers Game 1 in 2007 (3.157M), Pistons/Cavaliers Game 1 in 2009 (3.125M), Bucks/Hawks Game 7 in 2010 (3.056M), Sixers/Pistons Game 1 in 2005 (2.997M), and Heat/Bulls Game 1 in 2007 (2.949M) drew fewer viewers than Saturday’s game.
Ratings/Viewership For 2012 NBA Playoffs on ABC
| Date | Time | Game | # | Net | Rating | vs. ?11 | Viewers (000) | vs. ?11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., 4/28/12 | 3:30 PM | Knicks/Heat |
1
|
ABC |
3.1
|
+3%
|
4,752
|
+5%
|
| Sun., 4/29/12 | 3:30 PM | Nuggets/Lakers |
1
|
ABC |
3.3
|
-11%
|
4,882
|
-18%
|
| Sun., 5/6/12 | 1:00 PM | Bulls/Sixers |
4
|
ABC |
2.8
|
-10%
|
4,224
|
-16%
|
| 3:30 PM | Heat/Knicks |
4
|
ABC |
4.5
|
+7%
|
7,013
|
even
|
|
| Sun., 5/13/12 | 1:00 PM | Clippers/Grizzlies |
7
|
ABC |
3.2
|
+3%
|
4,663
|
-3%
|
| 3:30 PM | Pacers/Heat |
1
|
ABC |
4.4
|
-24%
|
7,016
|
-23%
|
|
| Sat., 5/19/12 | 3:30 PM | Spurs/Clippers |
3
|
ABC |
2.3
|
-4%
|
3,182
|
-13%
|
| Sun., 5/20/12 | 3:30 PM | Heat/Pacers |
4
|
ABC |
4.8
|
-9%
|
7,625
|
-14%
|
(Last weekend’s numbers from ESPN)
