The NBA Playoffs has continued to slump compared to last year.
Game 5 of the Nets/Hawks NBA playoff series drew 1.9 million viewers on TNT Wednesday night, down 43% from Mavericks/Spurs last year (3.3M) and down 46% from Celtics/Knicks in 2013 (3.5M).
Excluding games on NBA TV and ESPN2, the Hawks’ win ranks as the least-watched primetime playoff game since Jazz/Spurs Game 2 in 2012 (1.8M).
In the nightcap, Game 5 of Blazers/Grizzlies drew 2.9 million — down a third from Blazers/Rockets last year (4.4M) and down 35% from Rockets/Thunder in 2013 (4.5M).
Through Wednesday, 30 of 35 NBA playoff games have had declines in viewership compared to last year. That does not include Sunday’s Game 4 doubleheader on ABC, as final numbers were not yet available for those games. Of the 30 declines, 24 have been by double-digits and eight have been by at least a third.
Compared to 2013, 18 of the 35 games have declined.
(Wed. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily)
