With both teams tied atop the NBA standings, the Lakers and Bucks lifted the NBA out of its early-season slump Thursday night.
Thursday’s Lakers-Bucks NBA regular season game averaged a 1.7 rating and 2.78 million viewers on TNT, trailing only Lakers-Clippers on Opening Night (2.2, 3.58M) as the highest rated and most-watched game of the young season.
Outside of Opening Week, the Bucks’ win delivered the largest regular season audience on TNT in nearly two years — since Warriors-Cavaliers on Martin Luther King Day 2018 (4.68M).
Ratings increased 113% and viewership 110% from Lakers-Rockets last year (0.8, 1.32M) and 55% and 56% respectively from Lakers-Cavaliers in 2017 (1.1, 1.79M). Last year’s coverage was blacked out in Los Angeles and aired opposite Thursday Night Football.
Later in the night, Rockets-Clippers averaged a 1.25 (+155%) and 1.88 million (+164%). Last year’s comparable window was Mavericks-Suns (0.49, 711K).
Thursday’s numbers were a marked improvement for TNT, which had not cracked even 1.1 million viewers for any game since Opening Week. In addition to the marquee matchups, TNT was helped by the absence of NFL Thursday Night Football, which finished its season the previous week.
The games did face competition — albeit far less-formidable — from a Democratic presidential primary debate (6.17M).
In other action, ESPN averaged 1.17 million viewers for Celtics-Mavericks (-42%) and 1.07 million for Heat-Sixers (-38%) on Wednesday night. Ratings were not immediately available. Last year’s comparable games were Raptors-Warriors (2.01M) and Thunder-Pelicans (1.73M).
The Wednesday doubleheader aired opposite the presidential impeachment vote (16M).
[Nielsen estimates from Programming Insider 12.20, Turner Sports]
