Final Nielsen Ratings: TNT Keeps Up Record Audience After Two Rounds Of NBA Playoffs

TNT is averaging a 3.0 U.S. rating and 4.8 million viewers through the first two rounds of the NBA Playoffs, which has the net on pace for the highest-rated and most-viewed NBA postseason in cable TV history. The net's figures through 35 games to date are up 25% and 33%, respectively, from a 2.4 rating and 3.6 million viewers at the same point last year (33 telecasts). TNT topped all networks, broadcast and cable, among males 18-34 during its six nights of primetime games in the Conference Semifinals. The net had six Conference Semifinal games among the top 10 most-viewed cable TV telecasts last week. Meanwhile, NBA.com as of Thursday had seen 149 million videos streamed during the Conference Semifinals, up 149% from last year's second round. The site also had seen 417 million page views and 9.0 million average daily unique visitors during the round, up 50% and 92%, respectively. NBA GameTime App downloads are up 126% in the second round over last season (Austin Karp, THE DAILY). The DAILY OKLAHOMAN's Mel Bracht reports TNT averaged a 24.0 local rating in the Oklahoma City market for Wednesday's Grizzles-Thunder Western Conference Semifinals Game Five, a local record for a Thunder game. The previous record was a combined 21.4 rating for ESPN's and FS Oklahoma's coverage of last year's Lakers-Thunder Western Conference First Round Game Six. The 24.0 rating also was "better than five University of Oklahoma football telecasts this past season." Bracht notes despite the Thunder's blowout win Wednesday, Grizzlies-Thunder "fared well nationally" with a 3.4 overnight rating and 5.4 million viewers (DAILY OKLAHOMAN, 5/13)

The charts below lists final Nielsen ratings from recent sports telecasts on broadcast and cable TV. All ratings listed are U.S. ratings.

TELECAST	DATE	NET	TIME (ET)	RAT.	VIEWERS (000)
Kentucky Derby (race segment)	5/7	NBC	6:06-6:54pm	8.5	14,539
Kentucky Derby (overall)	5/7	NBC	5:00-6:54pm	7.4	11,200
NBA Western Conference Semifinal: Mavericks-Lakers: Game Four	5/8	ABC	3:23-6:09pm	5.3	8,886
NBA Eastern Conference Semifinal: Heat-Celtics: Game Three	5/7	ABC	8:14-11:00pm	4.9	8,202
NASCAR Sprint Cup: Showtime Southern 500 (Darlington)	5/7	Fox	8:00-11:54pm	4.1	6,978
"NBA Countdown"	5/7	ABC	8:00-8:14pm	2.3	n/a
PGA Tour: Wells Fargo Championship: Final Round	5/8	CBS	3:00-6:37pm	1.8	2,624
"NBA Countdown"	5/8	ABC	3:00-3:23pm	1.5	n/a
MLB: (regional)	5/7	Fox	1:08-4:12pm	1.4	2,136
PGA Tour: Wells Fargo Championship: Third Round	5/7	CBS	3:00-6:00pm	1.2	1,582
National Heads-Up Poker Championship (taped)	5/8	NBC	12:00-2:00pm	0.7	924
"ESPN Sports Saturday"	5/7	ABC	4:00-6:00pm	0.6	n/a
Lucas Oil Off Road Pro2 & Pro4	5/8	CBS	1:00-2:00pm	0.5	679
World of Adventure Sports (taped)	5/8	NBC	2:00-3:00pm	0.5	677
Monster Energy AMA Supercross: Year In Review (taped)	5/8	CBS	2:00-3:00pm	0.5	n/a
Fight Camp 360: Pacquaio vs. Mosley: Episode 4	5/7	CBS	2:00-3:00pm	0.3	n/a
TELECAST	DATE	NET	TIME (ET)	RAT.	VIEWERS (000)
NBA Western Conference Semifinal: Mavericks-Lakers: Game Three	5/6	ESPN	9:33pm-12:16am	4.7	7,658
NBA Western Conference Semifinal: Mavericks-Lakers: Game Two	5/4	TNT	10:45pm-1:16am	4.5	7,036
NBA Western Conference Semifinal: Mavericks-Lakers: Game One	5/2	TNT	10:51pm-1:23am	4.0	6,429
NBA Eastern Conference Semifinal: Bulls-Hawks: Game Four	5/8	TNT	8:08-10:51pm	3.8	6,260
NBA Eastern Conference Semifinal: Heat-Celtics: Game Two	5/3	TNT	7:00-9:44pm	3.7	6,006
NBA Eastern Conference Semifinal: Hawks-Bulls: Game One	5/2	TNT	8:00-10:51pm	3.4	5,588
NBA Eastern Conference Semifinal: Hawks-Bulls: Game Two	5/4	TNT	8:00-10:45pm	3.3	5,211
NBA Western Conference Semifinal: Grizzlies-Thunder: Game Two	5/3	TNT	9:44pm-12:32am	3.2	4,867
NBA Western Conference Semifinal: Thunder-Grizzlies: Game Three	5/7	ESPN	5:00-8:08pm	2.4	3,677
NBA Eastern Conference Semifinal: Bulls-Hawks: Game Three	5/6	ESPN	6:58-9:33pm	2.3	3,610

MAVERICK APPROACH: In Dallas, Barry Horn reported WFAA-ABC earned a 16.9 local rating and 431,000 HHs in the Dallas/Ft. Worth market for last Sunday's series-clinching Lakers-Mavericks Western Conference Semifinals Game Four. The series "peaked at 15.1 for Game 2 and dropped to 11.1 for Sunday's finale" in L.A. (DALLASNEWS.com, 5/9)....FS Indiana averaged a 2.1 local rating (22,500 HHs) in Indianapolis for its 72 Pacers broadcasts this season, up 35% over last year. The rating is the best for Pacers games since the '05-06 season, the last year the Pacers made the playoffs (IBJ.com, 5/12).

THE WINGS AND A PRAYER: FS Detroit drew a record 22.5 local rating (423,855 HHs) for its telecast Thursday night of the Sharks 3-2 win over the Red Wings in Game Seven of the Western Conference Semifinals. Viewership peaked at a 26.2 rating during the third period. The ratings is the second-straight game to set a new mark for FS Detroit, as Tuesday’s Game Six earned a 19.5 rating (FS Detroit).