No LeBron James, big problem for ABC.
Bulls-Cavaliers scored a 1.5 final rating and 2.4 million viewers on ABC’s NBA Saturday Primetime over the weekend, down 53% in ratings and 54% in viewership from Warriors-Thunder last year (3.2, 5.3M). Substantial declines were to be expected given how well last year’s game performed, but Saturday’s numbers were weak by just about any standard.
The Bulls’ win, which Cavaliers F LeBron James missed due to illness, delivered the third-lowest rating and viewership in the short history of NBA Saturday Primetime (13 telecasts dating back to last season). The only lower editions also involved the Bulls — another Cavaliers-Bulls matchup last April (1.3, 2.0M*) and Rockets-Bulls last March (1.2, 1.9M).
Regardless of timeslot, Saturday’s game was the eighth NBA telecast on ABC in the past three seasons with a rating at or below 1.5 — compared to zero such telecasts in the previous three seasons. The Bulls have played in half of those eight games.
For the weekend, NBA Saturday Primetime ranked third among all sporting events behind the Daytona 500 (6.6, 11.9M) and the final round of the PGA Honda Classic (1.8, 2.8M). Head-to-head, it topped the NHL Stadium Series on NBC (1.1, 1.9M) and Premier Boxing Champions on FOX (1.2, 1.9M).
* Last year’s Cavaliers-Bulls game aired directly opposite Warriors-Grizzlies on ESPN, Golden State’s 71st victory of their 73-win season.
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 2.28)
