The NBA Playoffs not only rebounded from last year’s poor start in the “bubble,” but edged past 2019 as well.
The opening weekend of the NBA Playoffs averaged 2.89 million viewers across ESPN, ABC and TNT, up 49% from the first eight games of last year’s postseason, which aired on a Monday and Tuesday in August, and up slightly from the last traditional postseason in 2019 (2.84M). The average is identical to the six Play-in Tournament games that preceded the playoffs.
Sunday’s Lakers-Suns Game 1 was the top draw of the weekend, averaging a 2.4 rating and 4.43 million viewers on ABC — topping every first round game in the “bubble” last August. Compared to the last traditional postseason in 2019, ratings slipped 2% but viewership increased 14% from Thunder-Blazers in the same Sunday afternoon window (2.6, 3.90M).
The Suns’ win, which peaked with 6.04 million viewers, faced Phil Mickelson’s win in the PGA Championship (3.9, 6.58M). The comparable 2019 window faced lesser competition from an encore presentation of Tiger Woods’ win in that year’s Masters (3.0, 4.54M).
Despite the competition, Lakers-Suns was the day’s top program in adults 18-49, 18-34 and 25-54 and posted the fifth-largest audience of the NBA season. LeBron James has played in four of the top five games — a Christmas Day matchup against the Mavericks (3.0, 7.01M), the All-Star Game (3.1, 5.94M), last Wednesday’s Play-in game against Golden State (3.2, 5.62M) and Sunday’s Game 1. The lone exception was Warriors-Bucks on Christmas (2.2, 4.79M).
Ranking second for the weekend, ABC pulled a 2.1 and 3.82 million for Celtics-Nets on Saturday night — down 9% in ratings and 1% in viewership from the network’s first game in the “bubble” last postseason, Lakers-Blazers Game 3 (2.3, 3.86M). It also declined 30% and 21% respectively from the comparable 2019 window, Clippers-Warriors (3.0, 4.83M).
In other action, Friday’s Grizzlies-Warriors Play-in Tournament game outdrew all six series openers on cable, averaging a 2.1 and 3.63 million on ESPN. It ranks seventh for the season, with Stephen Curry having played in four of the top seven.
As for those cable openers, Hawks-Knicks led the way with a 1.7 and 3.00 million on TNT Sunday night — up 6% and 12% respectively from 2019 (Pistons-Bucks: 1.6, 2.66M). Including the 309,000 viewers who watched the game on MSG in New York and Bally Sports Southeast in Atlanta, the Hawks’ win averaged 3.30 million.
TNT outdrew the RSNs in both markets, averaging 441,000 to MSG’s 257,000 in New York and 176,000 to Bally’s 52,000 in Atlanta.
Sunday’s Grizzlies-Jazz nightcap was not far behind at a 1.6 and 2.74 million, though those figures declined 16% and 10% respectively from 2019 (Jazz-Rockets: 1.9, 3.04M).
TNT opened its postseason slate with a 1.1 and 1.94 million for Wizards-Sixers, down a tick in ratings but up 8% in viewership from Pacers-Celtics in 2019, which faced Woods’ Masters win (Pacers-Celtics: 1.2, 1.81M). Compared to TNT’s first playoff game in the “bubble” — Magic-Bucks on a Tuesday afternoon — ratings and viewership unsurprisingly soared 57% and 93% respectively from a 0.7 and 1.01 million.
On ESPN, Mavericks-Clippers drew a 1.5 and 2.64 million Saturday afternoon — flat in ratings and up 8% in viewership from 2019 (Magic-Raptors: 1.5, 2.44M) and up 6% and 16% respectively from Game 1 of last year’s series between the same two teams, which aired on a Monday night (1.45, 2.28M).
Bookending ESPN’s Saturday slate, Blazers-Nuggets averaged a 1.3 and 2.30 million — up 18% and 26% respectively from 2019 (Spurs-Nuggets: 1.1, 1.83M) — and Heat-Bucks a 1.2 and 2.06 million. The latter increased 50% and 75% from ESPN’s first playoff game last season, Jazz-Nuggets on a Monday afternoon (0.8, 1.18M). Compared to ESPN’s 2019 playoff opener, Nets-Sixers in a similar Saturday afternoon window, ratings fell a tick but viewership increased 1% (vs. Nets-Sixers: 1.3, 2.04M).
Rounding out the recent action, Thursday’s Pacers-Wizards Play-in Tournament game pulled a 1.1 and 1.71 million on TNT.
