For the first time all season, the NBA on ABC scored a ratings increase.
Lakers-Warriors averaged a 1.8 rating and 2.88 million viewers on ABC’s NBA Saturday Primetime over the weekend, up 6% in ratings and 8% in viewership from the network’s third Saturday night game last season (Thunder-Rockets: 1.7, 2.67M) and flat and up 4% respectively from the third game in 2018 (Spurs-Warriors: 1.8, 2.78M).
The Lakers’ closer-than-expected win was the first ABC game this season to increase over last year, snapping a streak of eight-straight declines.
It ranks as the ninth-most watched game of the season, with the Lakers having played in eight of the top eleven. Each of the three exceptions was a Christmas Day game.
It should be noted that the Lakers have not been as strong a draw for ABC as last year. Outside of Christmas, none of their three games on the network has averaged as many viewers as any of their four appearances last year.
Ratings and viewership sank double-digits from last year’s Lakers-Warriors game on Saturday Primetime (2.5, 4.09M). While LeBron James did not play in last year’s game, both teams entered the matchup in playoff contention. This time around, injury-wracked Golden State entered the game in last place.
For the weekend, Lakers-Warriors ranked fifth among sporting events behind the final round of the PGA Tour Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (2.3, 3.51M) and three of four XFL opening weekend games. It did top Saturday’s Duke-North Carolina men’s college basketball game on ESPN (1.6, 2.67M).
In other NBA action, Blazers-Jazz averaged a 0.75 (-26%) and 1.13 million (-26%) and Raptors-Pacers a 0.6 (-29%) and 992,000 (-27%) on ESPN’s NBA Friday.
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 2.11]
