The Eastern Conference Finals have been a boon to TNT.
Games 2 and 3 of the Magic/Cavaliers series each drew big ratings on TNT last Friday and Sunday. Sunday night’s Game 3 drew a massive 5.4 U.S. rating (6.3 cable) and 9 million viewers on TNT, up 46% in ratings and 56% in viewership from a 3.7 (4.3 cable) and 5.7 million for last year’s Lakers/Spurs Game 3.
Excluding the NBA Finals, the 9 million viewers is the most for an NBA Playoff game since Pistons/Heat Game 7 drew 9.1 million on TNT in ’05, and the third-most ever for an NBA Playoff game on cable.
Meanwhile, Friday night’s Game 2, which could finish as the Cavaliers’ lone victory in the series, drew a 4.4 U.S. rating (5.1 cable) and 6.9 million viewers — up 19% and 25% respectively from a 3.7 (4.4) and 5.5 million for Spurs/Lakers Game 2 last year.
Through three games, the Magic/Cavaliers East Finals is averaging a 4.8 U.S. rating and 7.7 million viewers, up 26% in ratings and 33% in viewers from a 3.8 and 5.8 million for Spurs/Lakers on TNT last year, and the highest average for the first three games of a Conference Final on TNT since ’04.
Sources: Robert Seidman/TV By The Numbers; Turner Sports
