A pair of blowouts went in opposite directions on ABC last weekend.
Last Sunday’s Lakers/Cavaliers NBA regular season game drew a 2.2 final rating and 3.4 million viewers on ABC, up 10% in ratings and 11% in viewership from Bulls/Lakers last year (2.0, 3.1M) but down 46% and 47%, respectively, from Lakers/Heat in 2013 (4.1, 6.5M). Keep in mind that Lakers G Kobe Bryant did not play either this year or last.
The Cavaliers’ easy win was the most-watched sporting event of the weekend on any network, edging a Kentucky/LSU college basketball game on ESPN (3.3M) and the final round of the PGA Tour Farmers Insurance Open on CBS (3.2M).
Sunday’s game was the 11th meeting between LeBron James and the Lakers on ABC. The 2.2 rating was the second-lowest out of those 11, ahead of only a 2006 game that aired as part of regional coverage (1.7).
Earlier in the day, Clippers/Thunder drew a 1.6 and 2.5 million — down 16% in ratings and 9% in viewership from Knicks/Thunder last year (1.9, 2.7M) and down 24% and 26%, respectively, from Clippers/Knicks in 2013 (2.1, 3.3M).
The Thunder’s blowout win tied the lowest rating for any NBA game on ABC since April 2011.
(Sun. numbers via Sports Business Daily)
