Viewership has risen by over a third for the NBA Playoffs on TNT, with Monday’s Heat/Celtics Game 4 earning the network’s top audience of the postseason.
Game 4 of the Heat/Celtics series drew a 4.7 U.S. rating and 7.824 million viewers on TNT, up 104% in ratings and 130% in viewership from last year (ORL/ATL G4: 2.3, 3.400M), and up 81% and 98%, respectively, from 2009 (CLE/ATL G4: 2.6, 3.943M). Miami’s win ranks as the most-viewed game of the playoffs on cable, ahead of Lakers/Mavericks Game 3 on ESPN last Friday night (7.658M).
Heat/Celtics was Monday’s top television program on broadcast or cable among men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 and adults 18-34, topping even American Idol on FOX.
Later Monday night, the triple-overtime Thunder/Grizzlies Game 4 drew a 3.5 U.S. rating and 5.592 million viewers, up 9% in ratings and 10% in viewership from last year (LAL/UTA G4: 3.2, 5.079M), and up 13% and 16%, respectively, from 2009 (DEN/DAL G4: 3.1, 4.837M). Keep in mind last year’s comparable game featured the Lakers.
Every game of the Thunder/Grizzlies series has had an increase from last year’s comparable matchup.
On Sunday night, the fourth game between the Bulls and Hawks earned a 3.8 and 6.260 million viewers, up 36% in ratings and 37% in viewership from last year (PHX/SA G4: 2.8, 4.577M), and up 19% and 23%, respectively, from 2009 (BOS/ORL G4: 3.2, 5.089M).
Through 32 games, TNT has averaged a 3.0 U.S. rating and 4.736 million viewers for coverage of the 2011 NBA Playoffs, up 30% and 34%, respectively, from last year (2.3, 3.535M). In particular, the network’s eight semifinal round telecasts have averaged a 3.8 and 6.067 million, up 36% in both ratings and viewership from last year (2.9, 4.447M).
Across TNT, ESPN and ABC, nine NBA playoff games have drawn at least six million viewers (does not include this weekend’s games on ABC). To put that in perspective, only three games hit that mark through the second round last season.
(Numbers from Turner Sports; additional information from TV By the Numbers)
