Though most of the games declined from last year, TNT and ESPN scored solid overnights for the opening weekend of the NBA Playoffs.
Game 1 of the Blazers/Rockets first round NBA playoff series earned a 3.1 overnight rating on TNT Sunday night, down 6% from Rockets/Thunder last year (3.3), but up 7% from Clippers/Grizzlies in 2012 (2.9). The 3.1 was the highest overnight of the weekend for the NBA Playoffs on cable.
Earlier in the night, Wizards/Bulls Game 1 earned a 2.9 overnight — down 19% from Bucks/Heat last year (3.6), and down a tick from Celtics/Hawks in 2012 (3.0). The game ranked second for the weekend on cable.
Saturday’s Grizzlies/Thunder Game 1 ranked third with a 2.7 overnight on ESPN, up a tick from Grizzlies/Clippers in a later window last year (2.6), but down 13% from Mavericks/Thunder in 2012 (3.1). It was one of only two playoff games — on any network — to have an increase over last year.
The other, Mavericks/Spurs Game 1 on TNT, earned a 2.6 overnight Sunday afternoon — up 37% from Hawks/Pacers last year (1.9) and up 8% from Jazz/Spurs on ESPN in 2012 (2.4).
Rounding out the weekend slate, ESPN scored a 2.4 overnight for Hawks/Pacers Game 1 — down 8% from Bulls/Nets last year (2.6), but up 14% from Magic/Pacers in 2012 (2.1). The network’s Nets/Raptors game earned a 1.9, down a tick from Sixers/Bulls on TNT in 2012 (2.0); there was no comparable window last year.
Overall, ESPN and ABC combined to average a 2.9 overnight for their five games, down 6% from last year (3.1). Meanwhile, TNT averaged a 2.9 for its tripleheader, even with last year.
(Weekend overnights from Sports Business Daily, ShowBuzz Daily)
