While the 2009 NBA Playoffs have delivered often stellar ratings to TNT and ESPN, ABC continues to see consistent declines.
Last Sunday’s Game 7 between the Rockets and Lakers drew a 4.5/11 final rating on ABC, down 21% from a 5.7/13 for Cavaliers/Celtics Game 7 last year, and down 26% from a 6.1/14 for Cavaliers/Pistons Game 7 in ’06.
Rockets/Lakers was not even the highest rated Game 7 that day; Magic/Celtics Game 7 drew a 5.1 U.S. rating on TNT on Sunday night. Moreover, Game 7 was not the highest rated game of the Rockets/Lakers series, as Friday night’s Game 6 drew a 4.6 U.S. rating on ESPN.
Through the second round of the Playoffs, ABC is averaging a 3.2 rating for the 2009 NBA Playoffs, down 14% from a 3.7 through the same point last year, but up 10% from a 2.9 through the same point in ’07. Meanwhile, TNT averaged a 2.6 U.S. rating through the second round, up 8% from last year, and ESPN averaged a 2.3 U.S. rating, down 4% from last year.
