ABC scored a rare increase in ratings and viewership for NBA coverage last weekend, but the numbers were still nothing to brag about.
Jazz-Spurs delivered a 1.6 final rating and 2.5 million viewers on ABC’s NBA Sunday Showcase last weekend, up a tick in ratings and 12% in viewership from Thunder-Rockets last year (1.5, 2.3M) but down 43% and 41% respectively from Bulls-Cavaliers in 2015 (2.8, 4.3M).
The Spurs’ win was just the fourth NBA game on ABC this season to post an increase in ratings and/or viewership (14 telecasts that can be compared to last year). It was also ABC’s highest rated and most-watched game, not counting Warriors telecasts, since Spurs-Knicks in mid-February (1.9, 2.9M).
Earlier in the day, Celtics-Knicks had a 1.2 and 1.9 million — down 37% in ratings and 35% in viewership from Rockets-Thunder in 2015 (1.9, 2.8M). There was no comparable game last year.
The 1.2 is tied as the ninth-lowest ever for an NBA game on broadcast television, marking the fifth straight week that ABC has earned one of its ten lowest NBA ratings.
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 4.4)
