TNT is averaging 6.9 million viewers through three games of the Cavaliers-Hawks NBA Eastern Conference Finals, up 10% compared to the first three games of the network’s Spurs-Thunder Western Conference Finals last year (6.26 million viewers). TNT carried the Heat-Pacers ECF in ’13 and was averaging 7.54 million viewers through the first three games of that series. Cavaliers-Hawks Game 3 on Sunday night drew 7.8 million viewers, marking the most-viewed program of the day on cable or broadcast TV, despite competition from the Indianapolis 500 and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Coca-Cola 600. That figure also is up from the comparable Spurs-Thunder Game 3 last year in the same time slot (6.68 million viewers) and up compared to Heat-Pacers Game 3 in ’13 (7.3 million viewers). Game 3 on Sunday night also drew a 32.0 local rating in Cleveland-Akron, marking TNT’s best figure ever for a Cavaliers game in the market. Atlanta drew a 10.1 local rating for the game. Meanwhile, fast-national figures for Games 3 of the Warriors-Rockets WCF on ESPN were not available at presstime (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
In Atlanta, Tim Tucker noted local ratings "have been sharply higher in Cleveland than in Atlanta for each of the three games" in the ECF. Games 1 and 2 drew a 31.4 and 29.0 local rating in Cleveland-Akron, respectively, compared to a 15.4 and 10.9 rating in Atlanta (
AJC.com, 5/25).
HOW THE WEST WAS WON: ESPN drew a 6.0 overnight rating for last night's Warriors-Rockets Game 4, marking the best figure for an NBA Playoff game this season and up big from the net's comparable conference final games during the Heat-Pacers series last year and Spurs-Grizzlies series in '13. Last night's game is up 15% from a 5.2 overnight for Heat-Pacers Game 4 in '14 and up 46% from Spurs-Grizzlies Game 4 in '13. Warriors-Rockets Game 5 earned a 19.5 local rating in the S.F.-Oakland-San Jose market, which is the best local figure on record for any NBA game on any network (dating back to '03) (Karp).
THE BOYS ARE BACK: USA TODAY's Nina Mandell wrote when TNT's "Inside The NBA" crew announced they had signed multiyear extensions to stay on the air, they "continued what has become one of the most beloved sports shows in history." Turner Sports Senior VP/Production Craig Barry said, "Philosophically the great television, specifically sports television, comes from great chemistry. It doesn’t happen often and when it does it’s a little bit like lightning in the bottle. I don’t think you can plan for it ... I think it’s the collective sum of the parts that just happens. As for these guys, the collective of their personalities has just lent themselves to a higher level or a more entertaining form of sports television." Mandell wrote the show "takes chemistry, and arguably works because the on-air crew looks like they’re having more fun on set than any other show." The opinions, especially during the season, are "often hot takes that spark furious arguments." But any sort of "truly too serious moment is often broken up by a ridiculous moment" (USATODAY.com, 5/25).
