A failed upset attempt scored record numbers on NBA TV Thursday night.
Game 6 of the Pacers/Hawks first round NBA playoff series earned 1.1 million viewers on NBA TV Thursday night, the network’s most-viewed telecast since becoming Nielsen rated in 2010. The previous high was 939,000 viewers for Grizzlies/Thunder Game 5 on Tuesday, and the high prior to this season was 868,000 for a Lakers/Blazers regular season game in 2012.
NBA TV averaged 720,000 viewers for its seven playoff games this year, up a whopping 237% from last year, and its most-viewed postseason since becoming Nielsen rated. Of the five games that could be compared to last year, four had increases — each by at least 100%.
The Pacers/Hawks series, which saw the 8th seeded Hawks briefly flirt with knocking out the 1 seed Pacers, saw dramatically improved numbers on NBA TV. The three games on NBA TV earned 599,000 viewers (Game 5), 757,000 (Game 3) and 1.1 million (Game 6). Last year’s series between the teams also aired on NBA TV three times, with viewership topping out at a mere 195,000 viewers.
Also Thursday, Game 6 of the Clippers/Warriors series drew 4.5 million viewers on TNT — up 3% from Nuggets/Warriors last year (4.4M), and up 4% from Lakers/Nuggets in 2012 (4.3M). Thunder/Grizzlies Game 6 earned 3.8 million earlier in the night, down 7% from Nets/Bulls last year (4.1M), but up 6% from Hawks/Celtics in 2012 (3.6M).
(Thu. numbers from Turner Sports, The Futon Critic)
