NBA ratings continue to rise on TNT. In other news, ESPN continues to post declines for its NBA coverage, and NASCAR’s Xfinity Series race at Texas plunged on NBC.
More Increases For NBA on TNT
- TNT scored a 1.0 final rating and 1.6 million viewers for Thursday’s Bulls/Heat NBA game, Bulls G Dwyane Wade‘s first game in Miami after leaving the Heat — up a tick in ratings and 9% in viewership from Warriors/T’Wolves last year (0.9, 1.5M) and flat and up 9%, respectively, from Bulls/Raptors in 2014 (1.0, 1.4M). The Lakers/Kings nightcap had a 0.9 and 1.5 million, up 29% in ratings and 38% in viewership from Clippers/Suns last year (0.7, 1.1M) and flat and up 18%, respectively, from Nets/Warriors in ’14 (0.9, 1.3M). TNT’s NBA viewership is up 37% through eight games, with six of those up double or triple-digits.
More Declines For NBA on ESPN
- Rockets/Spurs scored a 0.9 final rating and 1.5 million viewers on ESPN’s NBA Wednesday, down 18% in ratings (1.15 to 0.94) and 15% in viewership (1.7M to 1.5M) from last year’s comparable Spurs/Blazers game. Earlier in the night, Nets/Knicks had 1.1 million — off 36% from Clippers/Mavericks last year (1.7M) and down 30% from Pacers/Heat in 2014 (1.6M). In contrast to TNT, seven of the ten NBA games on ESPN this season have declined.
Xfinity Series Ratings Smaller in Texas
- NASCAR Xfinity Series racing from Texas had a 0.9 final rating and 1.4 million viewers on the NBC broadcast network last Saturday, down 40% in ratings and 38% in viewership from last year (1.5, 2.2M) and down 18% and 16%, respectively, from 2014 on ESPN (1.1, 1.6M). It was the lowest rated Xfinity Series race on a broadcast network this year.
(Numbers via Programming Insider 11/11, 11/10, ShowBuzz Daily 11/8)
