The opening weekend of the 2010 NBA Playoffs did fairly well in the overnights for ABC.
Saturday’s Bulls/Cavaliers Game 1 drew a 3.3 overnight rating on ABC, up 22% from Pistons/Cavaliers Game 1 last year (2.7), down 11% from Suns/Spurs Game 1 in ’08 (3.7) and up 18% from Heat/Bulls Game 1 in ’07 (2.8).
Meanwhile, the Lakers’ Game 1 win over the Thunder on Sunday drew a 4.1 overnight, up 3% from Jazz/Lakers Game 1 last year (4.0), and up 5% from both Nuggets/Lakers Game 1 in ’08 (3.9) and Lakers/Suns Game 1 in ’07 (3.9).
The 4.1 overnight rating is the highest for an NBA game on the opening weekend of the playoffs since Lakers/Timberwolves in ’03 (5.1).
Overall, ABC averaged a 3.7 overnight rating for coverage of the first weekend of the NBA Playoffs, the network’s second-highest average for the opening weekend of the postseason since ’04.
Overnight Ratings For Opening Weekend of NBA Playoffs on ABC Since ’05
(ESPN)
