ESPN had mixed numbers for an NBA doubleheader on Wednesday. In other news, local ratings have dropped for both the Lakers and Clippers, and NBCSN had a hit a near-season high for Penguins/Blackhawks.
NBA Wednesday Mixed on ESPN; Season Up
- Wednesday’s Grizzlies/Thunder NBA regular season game drew a 0.9 final rating and 1.5 million viewers on ESPN, up 29% in ratings and 36% in viewership from Suns/Timberwolves last year (0.7, 1.1M) and up a tick and 32%, respectively, from that same matchup in 2013 (0.8, 1.1M). Knicks/Heat drew 1.2 million earlier in the night, down 14% from Rockets/Cavaliers last year (1.4M) but up 1% from Mavericks/Spurs in 2013 (1.2M). Entering the night, ESPN’s NBA coverage was averaging 1.9 million viewers — up 2% from last year (1.8M). (ESPN Media Zone)
Lakers, Clippers, Ratings Down
- Los Angeles Lakers regular season games averaged a 1.68 rating on Time Warner Cable SportsNet through December, down 23% from last year and the team’s “lowest ratings since moving to Los Angeles” according to the Los Angeles Times. Despite the decline, the Lakers continue to top the Clippers, whose 1.15 average on Fox Sports West is down 5% from last year. (L.A. Times via Sports Business Daily)
Slight Dip, But Near High, For Penguins/Blackhawks
- Wednesday’s Penguins/Blackhawks NHL regular season game drew a 0.4 final rating and 655,000 viewers on NBCSN, flat in ratings and down 5% in viewership from Bruins/Penguins last year (0.5, 690K), but the network’s second-largest audience of the season. Only Rangers/Blackhawks on Opening Night had a larger audience (925K). In other action, Canadiens/Flyers had 154,000 viewers on Tuesday night — down 44% from Sharks/Wild last year (275K) — and Kings/Avalanche drew 262,000 on Monday. (via Programming Insider, Sports TV Ratings [1], [2])
