Ratings: NFL preseason, “Hard Knocks,” MLB, TBT

Thursday’s Jets-Giants NFL preseason game averaged a 0.9 rating and 1.50 million viewers on NFL Network, down 25% in ratings and 22% in viewership from last year (Browns-Giants: 1.25, 1.93M), and down 17% and 18% respectively from 2017 (Broncos-Bears: 1.1, 1.83M).

The Giants’ win, which featured an hour-long weather delay, was NFL Network’s least-watched preseason opener since 2016 — when coverage faced the Olympics (Saints-Patriots: 0.8, 1.29M).

Bonus coverage of Colts-Bills during the weather delay averaged a 0.9 and 1.41 million. Later in the night, Chargers-Cardinals scored a 0.65 (-35%) and 1.02 million (-32%).

Including the previous week’s Hall of Fame Game, all three preseason games on national TV have declined from the past two years.

Tuesday’s season premiere of the HBO series “Hard Knocks” averaged a 0.46 rating and 705,000 viewers, up 15% in ratings and 6% in viewership from last year (0.40, 667K), and up 12% and 5% respectively from 2017 (0.41, 671K).

It was the most-watched Hard Knocks premiere since 2015 (826K).

Monday’s A’s-Cubs Major League Baseball game averaged a 0.43 rating and 635,000 viewers on ESPN, flat in ratings and down 2% in viewership from Yankees-White Sox last year (0.43, 646K), and down 23% and 26% respectively from Cubs-Giants in a later window two years ago (0.6, 860K).

In other action, ESPN drew a 0.36 (+16%) and 522,000 (+13%) for Brewers-Pirates on Wednesday night.

Shifting to local TV, Monday’s Braves-Twins game averaged a 5.13 rating on Fox Sports South in Atlanta, a season-high. Braves ratings are up 8% this season (from an average of 3.13 to 3.39).

The championship game of The Basketball Tournament averaged a 0.27 rating and 385,000 viewers on ESPN Tuesday night, marking the largest audience for the final since it began airing on ESPN in 2015. The previous high was 344,000 for the 2016 game. Viewership increased 46% over last year’s game, which aired on a Friday night (263K).