Game 1 of the NBA Finals earned below average ratings in Seattle. In other news, ESPN had a solid rise in viewership for ‘Sunday Night Baseball,’ and Telemundo hit a three-year high for a World Cup qualifier.
- NBA Finals Opener Below Average in Seattle: Not surprisingly, ratings for Game 1 of the NBA Finals were below average in Seattle. Game 1 of the Heat/Thunder NBA Finals drew a 9.1 rating in the Seattle-Tacoma television market, trailing the 9.9 national average. The game was the first appearance in the NBA Finals for the Seattle Supersonics since the team moved to Oklahoma City and was renamed the Thunder in 2008. (ESPN)
- Solid Bump For ESPN’s Tigers/Reds: The Tigers/Reds ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ game drew 1.889 million viewers on ESPN, up 37% from Braves/Mets in week ten of last season (1.357M), and up 11% from White Sox/Cubs in week ten of the 2010 season (1.704M). On Monday, Marlins/Red Sox drew just 917,000 viewers. (The Futon Critic [1], [2])
- Three-Year High For World Cup Qualifier on Telemundo: Opposite Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Tuesday’s El Salvador/Mexico World Cup qualifier drew 3.834 million viewers on Telemundo. The match ranks as the most-viewed sporting event on the network in three years. In Los Angeles, El Salvador/Mexico was Tuesday’s top-rated program among adults 18-49 — topping the NBA game. (NBC Universal Media Village)
