Ratings for the NBA playoff games on ESPN, TNT and ABC have seen some of their biggest jumps in history, with ESPN's soaring 35 percent through 19 telecasts, TNT's up 16 percent through 40 telecasts, and ABC's rising 28 percent through 10 telecasts, according to Broadcasting & Cable magazine, which cited Nielsen Media Research. The Conference Finals have shown even greater increases, with ESPN's telecasts of the Boston Celtics-Detroit Pistons series recording a 41 percent increase over last season's similar coverage. TNT's telecasts of the Los Angeles Lakers-San Antonio Spurs contest was up 37 percent, while ABC's telecasts of the Celtics-Pistons series was up 19 percent. Analysts predict that a Lakers-Celtics series will fly off the ratings charts. The ratings are even more impressive given last year's ratings debacle, when they reached their lowest point ever. Meanwhile, on CBS, the debut of the mixed martial arts series Elite XC Saturday Night Fights also turned out to represent a ratings boon, with the network showing a 36-percent boost in its ratings for adults 18-49 and a boost of more than 100 percent among males 18-34.
See Also
