Nielsens: NBA Ratings, ACC, Tiger, NHL

Aaron Lavinsky/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire

The NBA ratings surge has not quite subsided, but the league’s lead over last season continues to narrow. In other news, the ACC Tournament quarterfinals hit a record-high, Tiger Woods‘ presence doubled Thursday’s PGA viewership, and the NHL neared a cable season-high.

Spurs-Warriors Leads Midweek NBA

NBA regular season games have averaged 1.97 million viewers across ESPN, ABC and TNT through Thursday, up 9% from last year (1.80M). The league’s lead over last season has steadily shrunk over the past few weeks. In early January, viewership was up 18%.

Topping the midweek slate, Spurs-Warriors scored a 1.3 rating and 2.1 million viewers on TNT Thursday — up 97% in ratings and 96% in viewership from last year (Lakers-Suns: 0.7, 1.05M) and up 18% and 16% respectively from 2016 (Cavaliers-Lakers: 1.1, 1.8M). Earlier in the night, Celtics-T’Wolves had a 0.9 (-12%) and 1.4 million (-14%).

On Wednesday, ESPN drew a 1.0 (-23%) and 1.4 million (-31%) for Cavaliers-Nuggets and a 0.8 (+25%) and 1.2 million (+24%) for Raptors-Pistons.

Finally, Rockets-Thunder drew a 1.2 and 1.9 million on TNT’s Players Only Tuesday — up 140% in ratings and 138% in viewership from last year (Pacers-Hornets: 0.5, 801K). Pelicans-Clippers had a 0.8 (+14%) and 1.2 million (+17%) in the nightcap.

ACC Quarterfinals Set Record

Thursday’s North Carolina-Miami ACC Tournament quarterfinal drew a 1.1 rating and 1.73 million viewers on ESPN, up 38% in ratings and 45% in viewership from last year (Notre Dame-W. Virginia: 0.8, 1.2M) and up 169% and 192% respectively from 2016 (VT-Miami: 0.42, 592K).

The Tar Heels’ win was the most-watched ACC Tournament quarterfinal on record. The previous mark was set in the previous game window, as Duke-Notre Dame drew a 1.1 and 1.71 million earlier in the night — up 57% in both measures from last year (Va. Tech-FSU: 0.7, 1.1M) and up 95% and 114% respectively from 2016 (UVA-GT: 0.55, 799K).

[Correction: post originally stated that the complete quarterfinal round was the most-watched on record, but that only applies to the primetime games.]

Tiger Boosts PGA at Tampa

Thursday’s first round of the PGA Tampa Bay Championship earned 864,000 viewers on Golf Channel, up 207% from last year (281K) and up 172% from 2016 (318K). Tiger Woods is playing in the tournament for the first time.

Pens-Flyers Strong on NBCSN

Penguins-Flyers scored a 0.38 rating and 652,000 viewers on this week’s NHL Wednesday Night Rivalry on NBCSN, a 68% increase in viewership over last year (Red Wings-Bruins: 388K), though down 19% and 12% respectively from 2016 (Blackhawks-Blues: 0.47, 739K). Not counting Opening Night, it was the most-watched game on cable this season.

[Numbers from Programming Insider 3.7, 3.8, 3.9; ShowBuzz Daily 3.9, ESPN PR/Twitter 3.9a, 3.9b]

Ratings Predictions: Championship Week, Tiger & More

Jon Lewis

Jon Lewis has been covering the sports media industry on a daily basis since 2006 as the founder and main writer of Sports Media Watch. You can contact him here or on the social media websites X (Twitter) or Bluesky.