Ratings and viewership rose double-digits for the start of the 2010 NBA Playoffs on TNT.
Sunday’s NBA Playoff tripleheader on TNT averaged a 2.2 U.S. rating and 3.3 million viewers, up 10% in ratings and 15% in viewership from last year (2.0, 2.9 mil).
Game 1 between the Spurs and Mavericks drew a 2.5 U.S. rating and 3.9 million viewers on Sunday night, up 14% and 22%, respectively, from Heat/Hawks Game 1 last year (2.2, 3.2 mil), and up 14% in ratings and viewership from Hawks/Celtics Game 1 in ’08 (2.2, 3.4 mil).
Spurs/Mavericks was the most-viewed sporting event of the week on cable, ahead of Heat/Celtics Game 1 on ESPN the previous night.
Earlier in the day, Bobcats/Magic Game 1 drew a 2.0 U.S. rating and 3.1 million viewers, up 11% and 13%, respectively, from 76ers/Magic Game 1 last year (1.8, 2.8 mil), and flat in ratings but up 4% in viewership from 76ers/Pistons Game 1 in ’08 (2.0, 3.0 mil).
The nightcap, Game 1 between the Blazers and Suns, drew a 2.0 U.S. rating and 3.0 million viewers — flat in ratings but up 8% in viewership compared to Hornets/Nuggets Game 1 last year (2.0, 2.8 mil). There was no game in the comparable timeslot in ’08.
On Monday, Bulls/Cavaliers Game 2 drew a 3.3 overnight rating — the same as Game 1 on ABC Saturday afternoon, and the highest overnight so far for a playoff game on cable. Meanwhile, Jazz/Nuggets Game 2 drew a 2.5 overnight.
(Turner Sports)
