A pair of marquee series delivered big numbers on TNT over the weekend.
Sunday’s Thunder-Rockets NBA Playoffs Game 1 delivered a 3.0 final rating and 5.2 million viewers on TNT, up 25% in ratings and 29% in viewership from Grizzlies-Spurs last year (2.4, 4.0M) and up 43% and 44% respectively from Blazers-Grizzlies in 2015 (2.1, 3.6M).
Earlier in the night, Bulls-Celtics Game 1 had a 2.9 (+53%) and 5.1 million (+73%).
The games were the most-watched first round openers on cable in the past six years, since Knicks-Celtics on TNT in 2011 (6.0M). The previous high over that span was 4.9 million for Bucks-Heat in 2013. Overall, they were the most-watched first round games on cable since Warriors-Clippers Game 7 in 2014 (6.0M).
The weekend’s other games were not as impressive. Hawks-Wizards had a 1.5 and 2.6 million on TNT in the afternoon, the network’s least-watched playoff opener since Hawks-Pacers in the same window four years ago (2.2M).
On ESPN, Grizzlies-Spurs was the weekend’s top draw with a 1.9 and 3.2 million on Saturday — flat in ratings but up 8% in viewership from Celtics-Hawks last year (1.9, 2.9M). Jazz-Clippers had a 1.8 (-5%) and 2.9 million (-4%). Bucks-Raptors drew a 1.6 and 2.6 million, with no comparable year-ago window. Including streaming, the network’s full tripleheader increased 11% over last year (from 2.7M to 3.0M).
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 4.18, with additional info from ESPN Media Zone 4.18)
