From Sports Media Watch, a one-stop page for sports ratings news.
Saturday’s TNT’s “Inside the NBA” postgame averaged 3.5 million viewers, making it the most-watched edition of the program in two years. Keep in mind it followed TNT’s most-watched conference final game — and second-most watched game overall — in two years, Pacers-Knicks Game 6.
While “Inside the NBA” will continue on ESPN next season, Saturday marked the final night of NBA game coverage on TNT.
Saturday’s Knicks-Pacers NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 6 averaged 8.12 million viewers across TNT and truTV, down 7% from the previous ECF Game 6 — Celtics-Heat two years ago (8.71M) — but the most-watched game of the NBA season. The previous high was 7.91 million for Lakers-Warriors on Christmas.
For more on the numbers, see this article.
Thursday’s Pacers-Knicks NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 5 averaged 6.72 million viewers across TNT and truTV, marking the most-watched Game 5 of the ECF since Cavaliers-Celtics in 2018 (7.51M). Regardless of conference, it was the most-watched Game 5 at this point of the postseason since Mavericks-Warriors three years ago (6.79M).
For more on the numbers, see this article.
Sunday’s Knicks-Pacers NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 averaged a 3.2 rating and 7.1 million viewers across TNT and truTV, marking the largest audience in a decade for Game 3 of the East Finals — since Hawks-Cavaliers on TNT in 2015 (7.76M) — and the second-largest of the playoffs.
Game 4 on Tuesday night averaged 6.7 million, marking the largest audience for an ECF Game 4 since Celtics-Cavaliers in 2018 (7.94M).
For more on the series, see this article.
Sunday’s Knicks-Pacers NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 averaged 7.1 million viewers across TNT and truTV, marking the most-watched ECF Game 3 in a decade — since Hawks-Cavaliers on TNT in 2015 (7.8M).
The Knicks’ win increased 10% from last year’s Celtics-Pacers Game 3, which aired in a Saturday night window on ABC and averaged 6.5 million.
Compared to last year’s TNT Sports conference final, viewership actually declined 2% from Timberwolves-Mavericks Game 3 (7.25M).
Friday’s Knicks-Pacers NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 2 averaged 6.7 million viewers across TNT and truTV, up 19% from Celtics-Pacers on ESPN last year (5.64M) and the most-watched ECF Game 2 since 2018 (Cavaliers-Celtics: 8.42M).
Regardless of conference, it was the most-watched conference final Game 2 since Lakers-Nuggets on ESPN two years ago (7.66M) and the most-watched on TNT Sports since Mavericks-Warriors in 2022 (6.77M).
Compared to last year’s conference final Game 2 on TNT — Mavericks-Timberwolves — viewership increased 7% from 6.27 million.
Wednesday’s Pacers-Knicks NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 averaged a 3.5 rating and 6.6 million viewers across TNT and truTV, flat in ratings and up 2% in viewership from Pacers-Celtics last year (3.5, 6.4M) and the most-watched Game 1 of an Eastern Conference Final since Cavaliers-Celtics on ABC in 2018 (7.24M).
Compared to last year’s conference final on TNT Sports, ratings and viewership fell 6 and 7 percent respectively from a 3.7 and 7.02 million for Mavericks-Timberwolves.
For more, see this article.
Wednesday’s Knicks-Celtics second round NBA playoff Game 5 averaged 5.46 million viewers across TNT and truTV, up 46% from Cavaliers-Celtics last year (3.73M). In the nightcap, the Timberwolves’ series-clinching win over the Warriors averaged 4.71 million — up 11% from Mavericks-Thunder a year ago (4.26M).
On Tuesday night, Nuggets-Thunder Game 5 drew 4.62 million — up 3% from Timberwolves-Nuggets a year ago (4.51M). Pacers-Cavaliers led in with 3.93 million, down 19% from last year’s Pacers-Knicks Game 5.
Rounding out the recent TNT slate, the Pacers’ Game 4 blowout of the Cavaliers averaged 4.04 million Sunday night — down 28% from Nuggets-Timberwolves last year (5.61M).
Tuesday’s Warriors-Timberwolves second round NBA playoff Game 1 averaged 5.10 million viewers across TNT and truTV, up 39% from Mavericks-Thunder last year (3.68M) and the most-watched game of round two thus far.
Earlier in the night, Pacers-Cavaliers Game 2 averaged 3.76 million — up 7% from Cavaliers-Celtics Game 1 a year ago (3.51M).
On Wednesday, Knicks-Celtics Game 2 averaged 4.60 million — somewhat surprisingly down 6% from Pacers-Knicks last year (4.90M), and also down from Game 1 on Monday (4.88M).
In the nightcap, Oklahoma City’s 43-point rout of Denver averaged 3.80 million. There was no comparable window last year.
Monday’s Knicks-Celtics second round NBA playoff Game 1 averaged 4.88 million viewers across TNT and truTV, followed by Nuggets-Thunder Game 1 at 4.79 million — up 2 and 3 percent respectively from last year’s doubleheader of Pacers-Knicks (4.77M) and Timberwolves-Nuggets (4.67M).
Sunday’s Warriors-Rockets first round NBA playoff Game 7 averaged 6.6 million viewers across TNT and truTV, marking the most-watched first round game on cable since Bulls-Celtics Game 7 on TNT in 2009 (7.0M).
Earlier in the day, Pacers-Cavaliers Game 1 averaged 4.38 million. On Saturday, Nuggets-Clippers Game 7 drew 4.21 million (-15%).
For more on the weekend NBA numbers, and a full first round viewership recap, see this article.
Wednesday’s Timberwolves-Lakers first round NBA playoff Game 5 averaged 4.71 million viewers across TNT and truTV, up 48% from Mavericks-Clippers last year and the most-watched game of the postseason on cable.
Earlier in the night, Warriors-Rockets Game 5 averaged 3.48 million — up 22% from Heat-Celtics a year ago (2.86M).
On Tuesday, the same networks combined to average 2.91 million for Pistons-Knicks Game 5 — down 19% from Sixers-Knicks last year (3.59M). The Clippers-Nuggets nightcap followed with 2.86 million, up 2% from the year-ago Pacers Bucks Game 5 (2.81M).
Monday’s Rockets-Warriors first round NBA playoff Game 4 averaged 3.96 million viewers across TNT and truTV, down 13% from Lakers-Nuggets last year (4.53M). The last time the Warriors made the playoffs two years ago, their Game 4 against Sacramento had the benefit of an exclusive Sunday afternoon window and averaged 7.5 million on ABC.
The Warriors’ narrow win had a weak lead-in from the Cavaliers’ 55-point rout of the Heat, which averaged 2.12 million — down 30% from Celtics-Heat last year (3.01M). The two lopsided #1 vs. #8 series, Cavaliers-Heat and Thunder-Grizzlies, account for five of the seven smallest playoff audiences this season (not counting NBA TV).
TNT’s “Inside the NBA” postgame show is averaging 1.36 million viewers so far this NBA postseason, up 9 percent from last year (1.25M). This season is the last for the show before it moves to ESPN/ABC next year.
Tuesday’s Timberwolves-Lakers first round NBA playoff Game 2 averaged 4.10 million viewers across TNT and truTV, up 42% from Mavericks-Clippers last year (2.88M) and the most-watched of the weeknight games thus far.
Earlier in the night, Grizzlies-Thunder averaged 2.25 million — down 25% from Suns-Timberwolves a year ago (2.90M). The concurrent Bucks-Pacers Game 2 on NBA TV averaged 696,000, up 25% from the same matchup in the same year-ago window (555K). It would be reasonable to assume some viewers opted for Bucks-Pacers in anticipation of another Oklahoma City blowout.
On Wednesday, Warriors-Rockets Game 2 averaged 3.58 million — up 18% from Pelicans-Thunder a year ago (3.02M). The last time Golden State made the playoffs two years ago, their Game 2 against Sacramento averaged 4.32 million.
Magic-Celtics Game 2 led in with 2.55 million, down 18% from Heat-Celtics last year (3.13M). Unlike last year, the early game aired opposite competing coverage on NBA TV as Heat-Cavaliers averaged 492,000.
Rounding out the early week slate, Clippers-Nuggets Game 2 averaged 3.47 million across TNT and truTV Monday night — down 18% from Lakers-Nuggets a year ago (4.25M). Pistons-Knicks led-in with 3.26 million, down 6% from Sixers-Knicks last year, which faced competition from a competing game on NBA TV.
Last week’s NBA Play-In Tournament concluded with 2.51 million viewers from Mavericks-Grizzlies on ESPN and 2.13 million for Heat-Hawks on TNT and truTV, down two and five percent respectively from last year (Kings-Pelicans: 2.57M; Bulls-Heat: 2.25M).
The NBA had its most-watched opening weekend of the playoffs in 25 years, as ESPN/ABC and TNT Sports averaged 4.4 million viewers for eight games — up 17 percent from last year and the highest since NBC and TNT averaged 4.9 million in 2000.
In addition to ABC’s three games — which as previously noted averaged 6.69 million (Magic-Celtics), 5.84 million (Timberwolves-Lakers) and 4.45 million (Grizzlies-Thunder) — TNT averaged 4.24 million for Warriors-Rockets and 4.02 million for Heat-Cavaliers, and ESPN averaged 4.12 million for Pistons-Knicks, 3.64 million for Clippers-Nuggets and 2.51 million for Bucks-Pacers.
For full details on the weekend numbers, see this article.
Tuesday’s Grizzlies-Warriors NBA Play-In Tournament game averaged 3.4 million viewers across TNT and truTV, down 16% from Warriors-Kings last year (4.05M).
Despite the decline, Golden State’s win delivered the largest NBA audience on cable this season (not counting the All-Star Game) — surpassing Knicks-Celtics on TNT Sports Opening Night (3.0M). As one would expect, it also topped the night on television in all of the key young adult demographics.
Earlier in the night, Hawks-Magic drew 1.8 million — down more than half from Lakers-Pelicans last year (3.91M).
Last Thursday’s Grizzlies-Timberwolves NBA regular season game, the last such game on TNT Sports, averaged 1.3 million viewers across TNT and truTV — on par with Pelicans-Kings last year. Cavaliers-Pacers led in with just 888,000, down 34% from Knicks-Celtics a year ago (1.35M).
Going back to last Tuesday, Celtics-Knicks averaged 1.5 million — up 28% from Celtics-Bucks last year (1.2M). Warriors-Suns followed with 1.1 million, down a sharp 46% from last year’s far higher profile pairing of the Warriors and Lakers (2.0M).
Thursday’s Warriors-Lakers NBA regular season game averaged 2.5 million viewers on TNT and truTV, marking the second-largest NBA audience on cable this season, outside of Opening Night and Christmas. (Mavericks-Lakers in February holds the top spot.) Golden State’s win increased 70 percent from Nuggets-Clippers in the same window last year (1.47M).
Earlier in the night, Grizzlies-Heat averaged 1.01 million — down 7% from Kings-Knicks a year ago.
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