For the second straight week, the NBA Playoffs dominated cable.
The six playoff games televised last week finished as the six most watched programs on cable. Every playoff game drew at least 5.4 million viewers, putting a significant gap between the NBA games and the next most watched cable program — WWE Raw, which drew 4.7 million on USA.
While the Conference Finals were the major draw, the week’s most watched program was Game 7 of the Spurs/Hornets second round series, which drew a 4.3 rating with 6.5 million viewers on TNT last Monday.
The only other game to draw at least six million viewers was Game 1 between the Lakers and Spurs on Wednesday. TNT drew a 4.1 rating with 6.2 million viewers for the Lakers’ comeback victory. Games 2 and 3 on Friday and Sunday each drew a 3.7 rating, with Game 2 drawing 5.5 million viewers and Game 3 drawing 5.7.
Through Sunday, three Western Conference Final games on TNT are averaging a 3.8 rating, up 31% from a 2.9 for the first three games of last year’s West Finals on ABC and ESPN.
The Eastern Conference Finals are also drawing big numbers on ESPN. Game 1 of the Pistons/Celtics series drew a 3.7 rating with 5.4 million viewers last Tuesday, with Game 2 drawing a 3.9 rating with 5.7 million on Thursday. Through three games, the East Finals are averaging a 3.8 rating on ESPN and ABC, up 36% from a 2.8 through the first three games of last year’s East Finals.
Game 4 of the series drew 6.1 million viewers on ESPN Monday, a 33% increase over the 4.6 million viewers for Spurs/Jazz Game 4 last year. That does not factor into last week’s cable ratings.
For the week, six NBA games averaged a 3.9 rating with 5.9 million viewers, up 44% and 48% from a 2.9 with 4.0 million viewers for four games last year.
Last week marked the fourth time in five weeks that TNT finished as the most watched cable network in prime time. Prior to the start of the NBA Playoffs, USA had won the week on cable every week since December.
NBA ratings on cable last week.
4.3: Spurs/Hornets Gm 7 (Mon., 5/19, 8:30 PM TNT); up 59% from CLE/DET Gm 1 in ’07.
3.7: Pistons/Celtics Gm 1 (Tue., 5/20, 8:30 PM ESPN); up 54% from UTA/SA Gm 2 in ’07.
4.1: Spurs/Lakers Gm 1 (Wed., 5/21, 9 PM TNT); no comparable game in ’07.
3.9: Pistons/Celtics Gm 2 (Thu., 5/22, 8:30 PM ESPN); up 34% from CLE/DET Gm 2 in ’07.
3.7: Spurs/Lakers Gm 2 (Fri., 5/23, 9 PM TNT); no comparable game in ’07.
3.7: Lakers/Spurs Gm 3 (Sun., 5/25, 8:30 PM TNT); up 28% from DET/CLE Gm 3 in ’07.
