Nielsens: NBA Playoff Ratings, Stanley Cup, UEFA

Day one NBA playoff ratings hit a five-year high in the metered markets. Also: Stanley Cup playoff overnights on NBC and the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals on FS1.

NBA Playoff Ratings: Saturday Overnights Hit High

Saturday’s Spurs-Warriors first round NBA playoff Game 1 scored a 3.3 overnight rating on ABC, up 14% from last year (Pacers-Cavs: 2.9) but down 15% from 2016 (Rockets-Warriors: 3.9). The 3.3 is tied as ABC’s third-lowest on the opening Saturday of the playoffs since 2009, ahead of last year and 2015 (Pelicans-Warriors: 3.2).

On ESPN, Heat-Sixers Game 1 earned a 2.9 overnight — up 26% from last year (Grizzlies-Spurs: 2.3) and up 32% from 2016 (Celtics-Hawks: 2.2). It was the network’s highest rated opening weekend playoff game in the metered markets since 2012 (Mavs-Thunder: 3.1).

In other action, Wizards-Raptors Game 1 had a 2.1 overnight (+17%) and Pelicans-Trail Blazers a 2.3 (+10%). Overall, the first day of the playoffs averaged a 2.7 overnight on ESPN/ABC — up 17% from last year and the highest since 2013.

Saturday’s Stanley Cup Overnights Up on NBC

NBC scored a 1.3 overnight rating for Game 2 of the Maple Leafs-Bruins Stanley Cup playoff series Saturday night, up a tick from last year (Predators-Blackhawks: 1.2). The 1.3 is still the second-lowest for a primetime Stanley Cup playoff game on broadcast television, ahead of only last year.

Earlier in the day, regional coverage of Devils-Lightning and Avalanche-Predators delivered a 1.35 overnight on NBC and CNBC (+41%).

Locally, Nashville scored a 10.2 rating for the Predators’ win, its highest for a first or second round game on record. Boston turned in a 9.8 rating for the Bruins’ win. Tampa-St. Petersburg turned in a 5.8 for the Lightning, Denver a 3.7 for the Avalanche and New York a 1.3 for the Devils.

UEFA Quarterfinals Down, But Up From ’16

Tuesday’s second leg of the Manchester City-Liverpool UEFA Champions League quarterfinal had 376,000 viewers on FS1, down 14% from last year (Real Madrid-Bayern Munich: 439K), but up 49% from 2016 (Manchester City-Paris St. Germain: 253K).

On Wednesday, the second leg of Real Madrid-Juventus pulled 356,000 on FS1 — down 10% from last year (Barcelona-Juventus: 395K) but up 8% from 2016 (Atletico Madrid-Barcelona: 329K).

[Numbers from ESPN PR 4.15, NBC Sports PR/Twitter 4.15 a, b, c, d, e, f; ShowBuzz Daily 4.11, 4.12]