Thursday Night Football took another bite out of the NBA’s ratings. Also: a dip for the latest 30 For 30, a season-high for the Premier League, and a double-digit drop for the ISU Grand Prix Final.
Lakers-Rockets Down Double-Digits on TNT
Thursday’s Lakers-Rockets NBA regular season game had 1.32 million viewers on TNT, down 26% from last year (Lakers-Cavs: 1.79M) but up 43% from 2016 (Bulls-Bucks: 922K). Ratings were not immediately available. TNT’s coverage was blacked out in Los Angeles.
The Mavericks-Suns nightcap had 711,000 — down 49% from last year (Mavericks-Warriors: 1.39M) and down 50% from 2016 (Knicks-Warriors: 1.43M).
The games faced much tougher competition from Thursday Night Football, which jumped 62% in ratings and 53% in viewership from the same week last year.
So far this season, ESPN and TNT have aired 41 NBA games that can be compared to last year. Of those 41, 25 have declined.
Slight Dip For Latest 30 For 30
The premiere of the ESPN 30 For 30 documentary “42 to 1” earned a 0.8 rating and 1.21 million viewers Tuesday night, flat in ratings and down 4% in viewership from the previous episode to premiere on ESPN, “The Two Bills” in February (0.8, 1.26M).
The two previous 30 For 30 documentaries premiered on the ESPN+ streaming service.
EPL Hits Season-High
Last Saturday’s Chelsea-Manchester City English Premier League match scored a 0.75 rating and 1.11 million viewers on NBC, marking the most-watched EPL match of the season. Per Sports Business Daily, NBC and NBCSN have averaged 458,000 viewers for EPL coverage thus far, up 1% from last year (452K).
ISU GP Final Down Double-Digits
Taped coverage of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating final earned a 0.7 rating and 993,000 viewers on NBC last Sunday, down 22% and 19% respectively from last year (0.85, 1.23M). The NBC broadcast network did not carry the event in 2016.
[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 12.11, 12.14; Sports Business Daily 12.12]
