The Lakers helped TNT to its largest NBA audience in a month; NFL pregame viewership increased across the board; the FCS title game took an NFL-sized hit; and more.
Sorry, Chuck: Lakers move ratings needle for TNT
Thursday’s double-overtime Mavericks-Lakers NBA regular season game averaged 1.42 million viewers on TNT, up 55% from last year (Blazers-Nuggets: 918K) and the network’s most-watched game since its previous Lakers game, Celtics-Lakers last month (1.70M). Not counting Christmas, the Lakers have played in three of the five most-watched games over the past month.
Earlier in the night, Celtics-Nets averaged 1.28 million — down 9% from Warriors-Bucks last year (1.41M).
In other action, TNT averaged 1.30 million for Suns-Warriors on Tuesday night, which marked Warriors G Stephen Curry’s return from injury. Thunder-Heat led-in with just 809,000 viewers, TNT’s least-watched game of the season-to-date.
ESPN on Wednesday pulled 955,000 for Bucks-Hawks and 876,000 for Suns-Nuggets, down 20% and 44% respectively from last year (Mavericks-Knicks: 1.20M; Nets-Bulls: 1.56M). Going back to last Friday, the network pulled a 0.7 rating (-18%) and 1.33 million (-11%) for Nets-Pelicans and a 0.6 (-38%) and 1.11 million (-37%) for Heat-Suns.
Sunday NFL pregame shows up across the board
The FOX NFL Sunday pregame show averaged 4.54 million viewers during the regular season, up 2% from last year (4.47M) and the highest since 2019. The competing “NFL Today” on CBS averaged 3.35 million, up 8% and a six-year high. ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown averaged 1.24 million, up 7% from last year (1.16M) and the highest since ’19.
NBC’s Football Night in America pregame show averaged 7.24 million during the 45-minute portion that is rated by Nielsen (the first half-hour is not included), up 1% year-over-year.
FCS national championship takes hit from NFL
Airing on an NFL Sunday, last weekend’s South Dakota State-North Dakota State FCS national championship averaged a 0.6 rating and 1.07 million viewers on ABC — down 27% and 19% respectively from last year, when the game aired in a Saturday afternoon window on ESPN2 (0.8, 1.32M).
In other action, ABC’s final FBS game of the season — the LSU-Purdue Citrus Bowl on January 2 — averaged a 1.9 and 3.33 million, down 45% and 48% respectively from last year (Kentucky-Iowa: 3.5, 6.46M).
Plus: UM-MSU hoops, NHL, golf
Last Saturday’s Michigan-Michigan State men’s college basketball game averaged a 0.8 rating and 1.53 million viewers on FOX, up 36% in ratings and 48% in viewership from Villanova-DePaul last year (0.6, 1.03M) and the seventh-largest audience of the season. … Thursday’s Maple Leafs-Red Wings NHL regular season game averaged 446,000 viewers on ESPN, down 35% from Flyers-Bruins last year (684K). TNT drew 258,000 for Predators-Maple Leafs and 217,000 for Sharks Kings the previous night, down 41% and up 53% respectively from last year’s equivalent doubleheader (Canadiens-Bruins: 434K; Maple Leafs-Coyotes: 142K). … Final round coverage of the PGA Tour Tournament of Champions averaged a 0.6 rating and 950,000 viewers on NBC last Sunday, down 12% and 7% respectively from last year (0.7, 1.03M). Golf Channel added a 0.4 (-10%) and 603,000 (-16%). NBC’s Saturday coverage was up sharply to a 0.7 (+119%) and 1.09 million (+108%).
