ABC saw its biggest drop in ratings of the season for last Sunday’s Suns/Spurs tilt.
The Spurs’ win over the Suns drew a 1.6/4 final rating on ABC, down 24% from a 2.1 for the comparable game last year, another matchup between the Spurs and Suns. The 1.6 rating is the lowest of the season for an NBA game on ABC.
Originally, this site reported that the game drew a 1.7 final rating.
Despite the low rating, Suns/Spurs managed to outdraw the final round of the Honda Classic (1.5) and Bruins/Rangers (0.8), both of which aired on NBC.
Through eleven games, ABC is averaging a 2.7 rating for NBA telecasts, up 13% from a 2.4 through the same point last year. The 2.7 rating is the highest through eleven games for the NBA on broadcast since the 2002-03 season.
NBA ratings on ABC.
| Date | Time | Game | Rating | vs. ’08 |
| 12/25/2008 | 2:30 PM | Spurs/Suns | 3.2 | 3% |
| 12/25/2008 | 5:00 PM | Celtics/Lakers | 5.3 | 51% |
| 1/25/2009 | 1:00 PM | Mavericks/Celtics | 1.7 | -6% |
| 1/25/2009 | 3:30 PM | Spurs/Lakers | 2.8 | 0% |
| 2/1/2009 | 2:30 PM | Cavaliers/Pistons | 1.8 | 13% |
| 2/8/2009 | 1:00 PM | Spurs/Celtics | 2.4 | 4% |
| 2/8/2009 | 3:30 PM | Lakers/Cavaliers | 3.8 | 46% |
| 2/22/2009 | 2:30 PM | Celtics/Suns | 2.1 | 11% |
| 3/1/2009 | 1:00 PM | Pistons/Celtics | 2.2 | 5% |
| 3/1/2009 | 3:30 PM | Lakers/Suns | 3.1 | 3% |
| 3/8/2009 | 3:30 PM | Suns/Spurs | 1.6 | -24% |
| Average rating | 2.7 | 12% | ||
