ABC drew a 4.8 overnight for the Trail Blazers’ Game 7 win over the Nuggets yesterday afternoonNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
The NBA Conference Semifinals wrapped up yesterday, and the combination of two Game 7s and a strong Warriors-Rockets series cut into the sharp decline seen in Round 1. Yesterday’s slate was led by the Raptors’ dramatic Game 7 win over the 76ers on TNT in primetime. That game drew a 5.0 overnight rating, which may have been hindered a bit by the lack of a Toronto market rating and the game's conclusion bumping up against the start of the penultimate episode of “Game of Thrones” on HBO. The last time the NBA had a conference semifinal Game 7 was in ’17, with TNT drawing a 5.4 for Celtics-Wizards on a Monday night. Raptors-76ers delivered a 17.6 local rating in Philadelphia, which is the market’s best figure on record for a 76ers game on TNT. Meanwhile, ABC yesterday afternoon drew a 4.8 overnight for the Trail Blazers’ 100-96 win over the Nuggets in Game 7. That is up from the last time ABC carried a conference semifinals Game 7 in ’16, when Raptors-Heat drew a 4.4. On Friday night, Warriors-Rockets Game 6 on ESPN delivered a 5.8 overnight, marking the cable net’s best Western Conference Semifinal figure on record, and second-best figure for any NBA conference semi on record. ESPN and ABC combined saw a 20% increase for the second round its playoff telecasts compared to last year, and a 24% gain compared to two seasons ago (Austin Karp, THE DAILY).
MISSING A MAJOR MARKET: The Raptors' presence in the Eastern Conference Finals likely inhibits TNT from earning huge numbers compared to if Philadelphia, the nation's fourth-largest market, had made the next round. That power of the market was evident throughout Raptors-76ers, as PHILLY.com's Rob Tornoe noted Game 6 on Thursday was the "highest-rated NBA game ESPN has ever aired in Philadelphia." The game drew a 14.3 local rating in Philly, topping the previous high of 8.9 set during Celtics-76ers Game 3 of last year's Eastern Conference Semifinals. ESPN has aired games since the '02-03 season (PHILLY.com, 5/10).
YES, AND IT COUNTS? THE ATHLETIC's Richard Deitsch notes no announcement regarding the future status of Marv Albert at TNT is coming "in the near-term," despite Albert having just one more year on his current contract. Reports last year stated that Turner execs were considering moving Albert out of its top NBA play-by-play position. However, Deitsch notes Turner management is "loyal" to Albert, so that may mean he "gets a longer run than some might think." The big difference between Turner's roles is that the No. 1 announcer "gets the conference finals," as there is "enough inventory for multiple play-by-play announcers" during the rest of the season (THEATHLETIC.com, 5/13). In N.Y., Bob Raissman cited a source as saying that the NBA "still values Albert as its signature voice." A Turner spokesperson said, "No decisions have been made. Marv still has time left on his contract." Meanwhile, Raissman noted DAZN execs are "looking for a signature voice and face of their streaming service." Sources said that their sights are "on ESPN's Stephen A. Smith" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/12).
