ESPN & ABC's NBA Playoffs Opening Saturday Ratings Highest in Five Years
ESPN and ABC's NBA Playoffs opening Saturday coverage was up 17 percent, making it the highest-rated opening Saturday in five years (since 2013), according to metered market ratings from Nielsen. The four-game slate averaged a 2.7 metered market rating and all four telecasts were up year over year from their corresponding windows.
The Philadelphia 76ers victory over the Miami Heat drew a 2.9 metered market rating, up 26 percent from last year's San Antonio Spurs-Memphis Grizzlies game. The Sixers-Heat telecast is the highest-rated opening Saturday game on ESPN in six years (since 2012).
On ABC, the Golden State Warriors win over the Spurs drew a 3.3 metered market rating, up 14 percent from last year's Cleveland Cavaliers-Indiana Pacers matchup that drew a 2.9.
The Toronto Raptors Game 1 victory over the Washington Wizards delivered a 2.1 metered market rating, up 17 percent from the Raptors-Bucks game last year that drew a 1.8. In Saturday's nightcap, the New Orleans Pelicans Game 1 win over the Portland Trail Blazers generated a 2.3 metered market rating, up 10 percent from the LA Clippers-Utah Jazz game last year (2.1).
The NBA Playoffs continue today on ABC as the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Indiana Pacers in their first round Game 1 matchup. The broadcast starts at 3:30 p.m. ET with Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and Lisa Salters calling their second game of the weekend.
Additionally, the second edition of Kobe Bryant's Detail, exclusively on ESPN+, will be available as early as Sunday night. It features the five-time NBA Champion Bryant providing high-level analysis of Saturday's Raptors game, from the standpoint of Raptors star DeMar DeRozan.
ESPN and ABC's NBA audience was up across platforms for the 2017-18 regular season.
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