The 2014 NBA Playoffs got off to an okay start on ESPN and ABC Saturday.
ESPN averaged a 2.2 U.S. rating and 3.4 million viewers for three NBA playoff games on Saturday, flat in ratings and down 2% in viewership from last year (2.2, 3.5M).
The net’s top game was Grizzlies/Thunder Game 1 on Saturday night, which earned a 2.3 and 3.7 million viewers — up 10% in ratings and 12% in viewership from Grizzlies/Clippers last year (2.1, 3.3M), but down 15% and 10%, respectively, from 2012 (2.7, 4.1M).
Hawks/Pacers Game 1 earned a 2.1 and 3.2 million earlier in the night, flat in ratings and down 1% in viewership from Bulls/Nets last year (2.1, 3.3M), but up 24% and 27%, respectively, from Magic/Pacers in 2012 (1.7, 2.6M).
Rounding out the network’s slate, Nets/Raptors Game 1 drew a 1.6 and 2.3 million viewers — flat in ratings and down 8% in viewership from Sixers/Bulls on TNT in 2012 (1.6, 2.5M). There was no comparable game in the window last year.
Over on ABC, Game 1 between the Warriors and Clippers drew a 2.8 final rating and 4.4 million viewers –down 3% in ratings and 1% in viewership from Celtics/Knicks last year (2.9, 4.4M), and down 10% and 8%, respectively, from Knicks/Heat Game 1 in 2012 (3.1, 4.8M). Final numbers were not immediately available for ABC’s Bobcats/Heat Game 1 on Sunday.
(Sat. numbers from ESPN, The Futon Critic)
