Live sports programming continues to deliver huge ratings for TNT and ESPN as both networks dominated last week’s primetime cable ratings chart.

TNT averaged 3.2 million viewers for the week of May 13-19 to top all cable networks for the fourth straight week, according to Nielsen numbers supplied by Fox News. The network was bolstered by its May 19 coverage of the Minnesota Timberwolves-Denver Nuggets Game 7 NBA Western Conference semifinals telecast, which averaged 7.5 million viewers.

NBA and NHL playoffs-fueled ESPN finished second for the week with 2.2 million viewers, followed by Fox News' 1.9 million viewers and MSNBC’s 1.1 million watchers.

HGTV pulled into fifth place with 647,000 viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel (637,000 viewers), INSP (606,000), TBS (525,000), USA Network (522,000) and History (512,000).

Fox News posted its 19th straight win on the total day chart with 1.2 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (831,000), TNT (797,000), ESPN (771,000) and CNN (471,000), according to Nielsen. 

The Mother’s Day weekend lineup of live tv sports action begins on the pro football field as ABC airs in primetime the upstart XFL pro football league’s Championship game featuring the Arlington Renegades and the D.C. Defenders. 

The second round of the NBA Playoffs winds down as the Philadelphia 76’ers and the Boston Celtics meet Saturday on ABC in a pivotal Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series. 

On the ice, ESPN on Saturday will air a Game 6 NHL Playoffs contest featuring the Dallas Stars, who will look to close out its second round series against Seattle Kraken. On Sunday ESPN will air Game 6 of the Edmonton Oilers-Vegas Golden Knights series, with the Golden Knights up three games to two.

On the racetrack, NBC on Saturday will televise the GMR Grand Prix IndyCar Series race and on Sunday will air the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Motul Course de Monterey race. 

On the baseball diamond, Peacock on Sunday morning will stream the L.A. Angels-Cleveland Guardians game, while ESPN will televise the St. Louis Cardinals-Boston Red Sox game as part of its Sunday Night Baseball telecast. 

On the links, CBS and Golf Channel will offer final round weekend coverage of the AT&T Byron Nelson Classic PGA tournament, while the CW offers live Saturday and Sunday coverage of the LIV golf tournament in Tulsa. 

Both ESPN and Showtime will feature boxing cards Saturday night, with ESPN offering the Janibek Alimkhanuly-Steven Butler WBO middleweight title fight and Showtime airing the Rolando Romero-Ismael Barroso WBA interim junior welterweight title bout. In the octagon, ABC will air a UFC heavyweight main event bout between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Jailton Almeida. 

Fox on Sunday will air final round coverage of the Professional Bowlers Association’s Players Championship. On the soccer field, USA and Peacock will air nine Premier League games throughout the weekend. 

ESPN Plus on May 12 will debut a new season of the NHL’s Quest for the Stanley Cup sports documentary series chronicling the remaining NHL playoff teams vying for the Stanley Cup championship.

The seven-part series will go behind-the-scenes with the final eight NHL Playoff teams — the Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils, Seattle Kraken, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights — as they compete to make the Stanley Cup Finals.

Each episode will take fans through the unscripted drama on the ice, on the benches, in the dressing rooms and in the homes of players and members of the coaching staff. The series will reair on ESPN2. 

The busy lineup of live TV sports events airing during the first weekend of May begins Saturday in the boxing ring as super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez battles contender John Ryder in a DAZN-distributed pay-per-view event. 

Also on PPV Saturday, ESPN Plus will distribute the UFC 288 fight card featuring the main event bout between bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and former champion Henry Cejudo.

The NBA Playoffs continue Saturday on ABC with Game 3 of the New York Knicks-Miami Heat and the Golden State Warriors-LA Lakers series. On Sunday, ESPN will air Game 4 of the Boston Celtics-Philadelphia 76’ers series, while TNT telecasts Game 4 of the Denver Nuggets-Phoenix Suns series.

On the ice, the second round of NHL playoffs continue Saturday on TNT with Game 2 of the Edmonton Oilers-Vegas Golden Knights series. On Sunday TBS will air a tripleheader of Game 3 contests featuring the Carolina Hurricanes-New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs-Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars-Seattle Kraken series.

NBC on Saturday will televise live the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race. On the links, CBS will televise final round coverage of the PGA Wells Fargo Championship golf tournament. 

TNT continues to build ratings momentum heading into its second-round coverage of the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League playoffs. 

Coming off its most-watched first-round NBA playoffs coverage in five years, TNT’s May 2 coverage of Game 1 of the Los Angeles Lakers-Golden State Warriors Western Conference semifinals drew a cable-record 7.4 million viewers. Through Tuesday night, TNT’s NBA postseason coverage has averaged 3.8 million viewers, up 10% compared to last season, Nielsen reported.  

On the ice, Game 7 of the Boston Bruins-Florida Panthers first-round Stanley Cup playoff series drew 3.2 million viewers to TNT, making it cable’s most-watched first-round game of all time. Overall, TNT averaged 959,000 viewers for its first-round coverage, the most-watched first-round NHL playoffs on cable of all time and up 18% from last year, according to Nielsen.

Warner Bros. Discovery Sports chief content officer Craig Barry, who oversees operations and technology for sports content airing on TNT, TBS and TruTV, spoke with Multichannel News about the network’s fast ratings start to the NBA and NHL postseason. Barry also talks about WBD Sports’ efforts to integrate sports and entertainment through technology and the popular talent found on shows such as Inside the NBA. 

MCN: Are you surprised by the strong ratings performance of the opening rounds of the NBA and NHL playoffs on TNT and to what do you attribute the network’s fast ratings start?

Craig Barry: I’m pleasantly surprised. I think that you're seeing really competitive games both in NBA and NHL playoffs — there’s been a number of overtime games that have really attracted viewers. In the NBA, in particular, you have powerhouse teams in the running. Whenever New York, Los Angeles, Golden State, Miami are in the playoffs, it just feels like the planets are aligned and people are generally really interested. Sports is always matchup-driven at its core. It doesn’t matter how good of a job we do on the production, it's driven by the teams that people love and that the fans love to watch.

MCN: How do you see sports content fitting into the overall programming strategy from TNT and TBS? 

CB: I don't want to speak for the entertainment side of the business, but what I'll say is they are great supporters of sports and it's part of their programming strategy. They can strategically program their entertainment programming around sports — I can tell you five years from now when the playoffs are happening, when March Madness is happening, when the [NBA and NHL] All-Star games are happening. They’ve been great partners.

MCN: WBD Sports has been successful in melding sports with entertainment through shows like Inside the NBA. How important is that in terms of attracting both hardcore and non-sports viewers?  

CB: There’s an intersection between sports and culture that we want to make sure that we understand and serve. We understand the obligation to the hard-core fan, but we also believe in an equal obligation to the casual fan. We look at creating an on-ramp for the casual fan to come in and watch and to be entertained and informed, while creating as much access to the game and to the players on the court or field. 

There are a lot of companies that believe there’s a specific box that you work in, and this is the way to do things. We believe in the individuals that work here, and we believe in and what they bring, as individuals, to the table. We love the kind of authentic output that comes from that. It's not always perfect, but it’s always authentic and that's important. We’ve become well-known for taking that imperfection and turning it into something special. 

MCN: How do you see the TV sports industry evolving in the near future, particularly on the technology side?

CB: That’s an interesting question. The streaming of sports rights content is obviously in the forefront. Being able to deliver your product where the fans are is the most important objective. If your fans don't have cable, make sure you're creating an opportunity on a direct-to-consumer product for your brand, like in our case Max or Bleacher Report. 

I think that's the most important part about streaming — it’s not necessarily differentiating yourself with the presentation, although that's a big part of it. It's first making sure that you can reach that scale of fan and consumer, regardless of where they are. I also feel like one of the largest disruptors is not necessarily just streaming, but also the cost efficiency of content. There are so many platforms calling for so much scale that we have to find ways to create more content at a high-quality level, but where we can scale to various platforms and make sure that we can sustain a model of efficiency while we’re doing that. 

I don’t care if you're a sports network, an entertainment network or a streaming platform, I think everybody sees the demand for content consumption as so large  that in order to be successful in this business you absolutely have to find a model where you have economic efficiencies in the way that you create and distribute content.

Strong ratings for the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League playoffs have Warner Bros. Discovery back in the market selling advertising inventory previously reserved for make-goods.

Warner Bros. Discovery is also looking to sell a new sports update feature package that would run on all of the company’s cable networks, promoting upcoming games and giving sponsors a new opportunity to reach viewers whose demographics line up with sports fans.

“We had already reached our sales goals and we will have the best NBA and NHL year we’ve ever had with what we currently have in house,” Jon Diament, executive VP for ad sales at WBD told Broadcasting+Cable.

“Now because of our ratings surge, we have no liability, so any inventory we had left over for potential sweeps or ratings [shortfalls] we’re pretty confident we can put back into the market, and that’s what’s happening,” Diament said.

The popularity of sports with advertisers has WBD in the market with a new sports update feature. Short segments would appear on WBD’s cable networks and show game highlights–live look-ins are being considered–to update viewers and promote upcoming contents.

Diament said that several WBD networks have demographics that match up well with advertisers looking to reach sports fans. Those include truTV, Adult Swim, MotorTrend Network and Discovery. 

“We’re trying to package them all together and make it easier for advertisers to extend their reach on all these non-sports networks on one simple buy,” he said.

Before the start of the playoffs, Diament said inventory was tight because more NBA and NHL inventory than usual was sold in the upfront market because of strong demand.

“The advertisers see what’s going on on television and the share of live sports compared to entertainment and news,” Diament said.

On top of that, nearly all of the official NBA and NHL marketing partners are also advertising in a significant way.

In the first week of the NBA playoffs, games were the top-rated programs nearly every night across television, Diament said.

For the spring playoff seasons, strong categories include home improvement, movies, travel, restaurants and beer and liquor. The auto category has also improved.

Google Pixel is the overall presenting sponsor of the NBA playoffs on WBD. Other key advertisers for the NBA on TNT include Carmax, which sponsors the pregame show; halftime sponsor American Express; and postgame sponsor Kia. Nerd Wallet is presenting Round 1 of the playoffs and AT&T is the presenting sponsor of the Eastern Conference Finals. Casamigos Tequila is presenting Game Breaks.

Under the NHL’s new rights deals with ESPN and the Walt Disney Co. and Warner Bros. Discovery, this is the first year WBD will televise the Stanley Cup Finals. (WBD’s TNT and Disney’s ESPN and ABC televise the finals every other year.)

Diament said that 95% of WBD’s NHL advertisers have either increased their spending or are new.

Key NHL sponsors include GEICO, which is presenting the entire Stanley Cup playoffs; Verizon Communications, which sponsors the pregame show; Lexus, presenter of the first intermission report; Discover Card, presenter of the second intermission report; and Cadillac, which sponsors the post-game show.

Disney Ad Sales earlier this week said it was nearly sold out for the NHL playoffs, with 17 sponsors and 142 advertisers across 64 categories signed up.

Below is a snapshot of TV by the numbers for the week of June 20-26, highlighting the most-watched shows and networks using glass-level data from Vizio’s Inscape, and network and show TV ad impressions insights via iSpot.tv.

Most-Watched Shows and Networks

Via Inscape, Vizio’s TV data product with glass-level insights from a panel of more than 19 million active and opted-in smart TVs. Data is linear, live TV only and includes all episode types (new and reruns). Rankings are by percent share duration (i.e., time spent watching).

The Stanley Cup Final concluded on Sunday, as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. From June 20-26, the exciting series led the way, with 1.45% of all minutes watched.

Some additional insights about the top programming on TV:

• As the field narrows for the Men’s College World Series, the event is earning more watch-time, jumping up to No. 3 in our ranking (up from No. 8 the previous week).
• Thursday night’s NBA Draft netted 0.48% of watch-time on the week — good for No. 17 overall.
• Family Feud climbs from No. 27 to No. 23 week-over-week, courtesy of a consistent presence on Game Show Network.
• Chicago Fire stays hot, even weeks after season 10 has concluded, landing at No. 14 by watch-time despite only airing syndicated episodes.

ABC stays at the top of our list of most-watched networks in part due to the Stanley Cup Final, which played four games in primetime from June 20-26. The network accounts for 6.31% of watch-time, which is down from 8.17% the week before.

Additional insights around the most-watched networks from June 20-26:

• Airing the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship helped CBS leapfrog NBC for No. 2 in our ranking, with 5.96% on the week.
• CNN increases minutes watched from 1.72% to 1.99% week-over-week, leading to a jump from No. 13 to No. 10 by most-watched networks.
• BET flies into our ranking after Sunday’s 2022 BET Awards, increasing watch-time from 0.84% to 1.10% week-over-week.
• History Channel moves from No. 26 to No. 22 by minutes watched week-over-week, on a steady diet of reality shows like Pawn Stars, American Pickers and Alone (among others).

Top Shows and Networks by TV Ad Impressions

Via iSpot.tv, the always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company. Rankings are by TV ad impressions, for new episodes only. 

The week of June 20-26 concludes with the NHL’s Stanley Cup Final as the top program by impressions, with 3.91% of the total. That’s more than a 2.33x week-over-week increase for the series, which also broadcast twice as many games this week versus last.

More data about the top programs by TV ad impressions:

• Morning shows deliver a larger share of impressions week-over-week, with Good Morning America climbing from 2.09% to 2.42%, and Today moving from 1.65% to 1.97%.
• MLB games catch a larger share of impressions on the week, with 1.79% – propelling a jump from No. 9 to No. 5 in our ranking.
• The 2022 BET Awards soar to No. 15 by impressions, courtesy of a live simulcast across Paramount cable networks including BET, BET Her, Pop, TV Land and more.
• The NASCAR Cup Series grabs the No. 25 spot in our ranking, as the Ally 400 and race qualifying account for 0.84% of the week’s impressions.

ABC parks in the No. 1 spot for another week in our ad-impressions-by-network ranking, collecting 12.76% of impressions (down from 17.23% the previous week, which featured both the Stanley Cup Final and NBA Finals).

Additional insights around the top networks by impressions:

• Fox News Channel hops from No. 3 to No. 2 week-over-week, with 24.46% of impressions delivered during the early fringe daypart.
• While Fox News’s share of impressions increased slightly week-over-week (from 11.74% to 11.75%), it was part of a trend for cable news as MSNBC’s grew from 6.00% to 6.27% and CNN went from 5.10% to 5.36%.
• The Men’s College World Series helped power ESPN2 from No. 17 to No. 13 week-over-week as the tournament field narrowed to the final teams.
• Hallmark Channel springs from No. 32 to No. 23 by impressions week-over-week, thanks in large part to the premiere of TV movie Two Tickets to Paradise, starring Ashley Williams and Ryan Paevey.

Below is a snapshot of TV by the numbers for the week of June 13-19, highlighting the most-watched shows and networks using glass-level data from Vizio’s Inscape, and network and show TV ad impressions insights via iSpot.tv.

Most-Watched Shows and Networks

Via Inscape, Vizio’s TV data product with glass-level insights from a panel of more than 19 million active and opted-in smart TVs. Data is linear, live TV only and includes all episode types (new and reruns). Rankings are by percent share duration (i.e., time spent watching).

U.S. Open coverage scored with TV audiences over the weekend, picking up 2.71% of all minutes watched to lead the way from June 13-19. The event appeared on both NBC and USA Network from Thursday through Sunday.

Some additional insights about the top programming on TV:

• Games five and six of the NBA Finals combined for 1.97% of watch-time, as the Golden State Warriors eliminated the Boston Celtics to win the championship on Thursday.
• Interest was high for live sports on the week, with Major League Baseball climbing from No. 7 to No. 5 by minutes watched, and the 2022 Men’s College World Series and the Stanley Cup Finals both appearing among the top 10 programs as well.
• Law & Order returns to our weekly rankings, hopping from No. 35 to No. 20 week-over-week by watch-time.
• MSNBC’s coverage of the Jan. 6 hearings was a hit in primetime, as The January 6th Hearings: The House Investigates tallies 0.43% of minutes watched (24th in our ranking).

ABC remains on top of our list of most-watched networks thanks in part to both the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals. While the NBA’s champion was crowned, the Stanley Cup is just getting started as the Colorado Avalanche take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. The network scored 8.17% of watch-time – up from 7.30% the previous week.

Additional insights around the most-watched networks from June 13-19:

• U.S. Open coverage helped spring NBC up from No. 3 to No. 2 week-over-week, while USA moves from No. 12 to No. 11.
• MSNBC’s primetime airings of the Jan. 6 hearing helped move the network from No. 13 to No. 10 by watch-time week-over-week.
• Paramount Network climbs from No. 34 to No. 23 by minutes watched week-over-week, as the network continues to lean into Yellowstone.
• FX and INSP are also newcomers to our top 25 network rankings this week, with the former receiving a boost from Jeff Bridges drama The Old Man.

Top Shows and Networks by TV Ad Impressions

Via iSpot.tv, the always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company. Rankings are by TV ad impressions, for new episodes only. 

The NBA Finals hang onto the impressions lead for one more week, securing 2.65 billion (6.14% of the total) over the series’ final two games. That edged out the U.S. Open for the top spot, as the golf event sits second with 2.33 billion (5.40% of the week’s impressions).

More data about the top programs by TV ad impressions:

• News and talk continue to deliver a large share of impressions on TV, accounting for 16 of the top 25 programs in our ranking from June 13-19.
• Speaking of news, impressions for CBS Mornings rise 16% week-over-week as the program climbs from No. 15 to No. 10 in our ranking.
• ABC World News Tonight With David Muir also witnesses its own impressions jump, up nearly 20% week-over-week.
• With the field narrowed to the final two teams, the NHL moves from No. 17 to No. 6 in our ranking.

ABC stays at No. 1 for another week in our ad-impressions-by-network ranking, scoring 17.24% of impressions. That’s up from 14.14% the previous week.

Additional insights around the top networks by impressions:

• U.S. Open TV ad impressions helped fuel a 27% week-over-week increase for NBC (plus a 203% climb for USA Network, which also aired portions of the tournament).
• For the second consecutive week, three of the top six networks by impressions served are cable news channels (Fox News at No. 3, MSNBC at No. 5 and CNN at No. 6).
• As baseball interest rises, so do MLB Network TV ad impressions – climbing 11% week-over-week.
• Bravo leaps from No. 23 to No. 19 by impressions, on the strength of various Real Housewives franchise programs, among others.

Fox News picked up its second straight ratings primetime win last week while ESPN continues its hot ratings run with support from its NHL Playoffs coverage.

Fox News averaged 2.2 million viewers in primetime for the week of June 6 to June 12 to top all cable networks, followed by ESPN, which finished with 1.7 million viewers, according to Nielsen. The sports network has now finished either in first or second place in primetime for four consecutive weeks. 

MSNBC was third for the week with 1.4 million viewers, followed by HGTV with 996,000 viewers and INSP with 911,000 watchers.

CNN was sixth with 851,000 viewers, followed by TNT (789,000 viewers), Discovery Channel (788,000), Hallmark Channel (751,000) and TLC (736,000).

Fox News was the most watched cable network on a 24-hour basis for the 23rd consecutive week, besting MSNBC (754,000 viewers), ESPN (567,000), HGTV (531,000) and CNN (499,000), said Nielsen. ■  

Also: Former Fox News Politics Editor Testifies at January 6 Committee Hearing 

Below is a snapshot of TV by the numbers for the week of June 12, highlighting the most-watched shows and networks using glass-level data from Vizio’s Inscape, and network and show TV ad impressions insights via iSpot.tv.

Most-Watched Shows and Networks

Via Inscape, Vizio’s TV data product with glass-level insights from a panel of more than 19 million active and opted-in smart TVs. Data is linear, live TV only and includes all episode types (new and reruns). Rankings are by percent share duration (i.e., time spent watching).

The NBA Finals remained appointment viewing as games three and four combined to secure 1.58% of all minutes watched from June 6-12. It’s the second straight week the series between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors is No. 1 by watch-time among all programs.

Some additional insights about the top programming on TV:

• College baseball is a hit, with minutes watched climbing from No. 11 to No. 3 week-over-week as the postseason continues to narrow.
• Fox News programs Fox & Friends and America’s Newsroom end a one-week hiatus outside of the top 25 in our ranking, landing at No. 14 and No. 20 this week, respectively.
• Even after its season nine finale, Chicago P.D. climbs from No. 37 to No. 15 by watch-time as audiences catch up on ION and USA Network.
• Speaking of Chicago, Chicago Fire roars from No. 21 to No. 8 week-over-week, via its own ION and USA syndication play.

ABC stays atop the list of most-watched networks, in part due to the NBA Finals. The network had 7.30% of watch-time on the week, up slightly from 7.23% from May 30-June 5 as audiences also tuned into ABC’s coverage of the Jan. 6 hearings in primetime on Thursday.

Additional insights around the most-watched networks from June 6-12:

• USA springs from No. 16 to No. 12 by watch-time week-over-week, on a steady dose of syndicated procedurals plus WWE Monday Night Raw.
• MSNBC moves from No. 19 to No. 16 in our ranking, in part due to increased Thursday viewership around the Jan. 6 hearings.
• ESPN2 jumps from No. 32 to No. 17 week-over-week, via NCAA coverage including college baseball, the Women’s College World Series and the NCAA Track and Field Championships.
• The latest episode of Little People, Big World helped lift TLC from No. 20 to No. 17 week-over-week in our watch-time rankings.

Top Shows and Networks by TV Ad Impressions

Via iSpot.tv, the always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company. Rankings are by TV ad impressions, for new episodes only. 

As the NBA Finals continue, the series once again nets the most TV ad impressions on the week, with 2.08 billion – 4.8% of the total. That’s down slightly from the previous week (5.3% of the total) as the final minutes of each game have become increasingly one-sided in the series.

More data about the top programs by TV ad impressions:

• College baseball doubles impressions week-over-week as the field gets close to the final eight teams headed to Omaha for the College World Series.
• ABC World News Tonight With David Muir is one of several news programs to increase impressions week-over-week, along with Fox & Friends, America’s Newsroom and NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt, among others.
• Resuming its five-episodes-per-week schedule after taking Memorial Day off the previous week, The View sees impressions increase by 33.8% week-over-week.
• Speaking of news and talk shows, they made up 14 of the top 25 programs by impressions in our ranking for June 6-12.

ABC remains No. 1 in our ad-impressions-by-network ranking, with 14.14% of impressions on the week. The NBA Finals accounted for 33.5% of those as advertisers continue to benefit from a tight series through four games.

Additional insights around the top networks by impressions:

• Fox News increased impressions by more than 14% week-over-week.
• CNN and MSNBC both saw impressions leap thanks to Jan. 6 hearings coverage – as the former jumped by 10.8% and the latter by 31.8% week-over-week.
• Fox Sports 1 delivered more impressions on the week than Fox, via NASCAR Cup Series and UEFA Nations Cup action.
• CNBC hops from No. 26 to No. 20 in our ranking week-over-week, as stock market concerns continued to fuel greater interest in business-focused news.

The weekend’s lineup of TV sports events begins on Saturday with the 154th running of the Belmont Stakes, the third leg in horse racing’s Triple Crown. Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike will look to return to the winner’s circle after skipping the Preakness Stakes race. 

The NHL Playoffs continue Saturday with Game six of the Eastern Conference finals between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Rangers. The Lightning will look to close out the Rangers with a win and advance to the Stanley Cup finals for the third straight year.

ABC’s coverage of Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors will air Monday. The Warriors evened the series at two games each with a win Friday night. 

On the baseball diamond, ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball telecast will feature the first place New York Mets against the Los Angeles Angels, while Peacock Sunday morning will stream the Oakland A’s-Cleveland Guardians game.  

The USFL enters its ninth week with two Saturday games including the New Jersey Generals-Michigan Panthers contest (NBC) and the Houston Gamblers-Birmingham Stallions matchup (USA Network.) On Sunday the Tampa Bay Bandits face the New Orleans Breakers on Fox, while the Philadelphia Stars battle the Pittsburgh Maulers on FS1. 

ESPN Plus on Saturday will distribute the UFC 275 pay-per-view main event between light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira and Jiri Prochazka. In the boxing ring, ESPN will televise the Edgar Berlanga-Roamer Alexis Angulo super middleweight fight, while DAZN streams the Jaime Munguia-Jimmy Kelly super middleweight fight card.

On the race track, NBC on Sunday will televise the IndyCar Sonsio Grand Prix, while ESPN airs the Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix and FS1 carries the NASCAR Cup Toyota/Save Mart 350 race. 

CBS and Golf Channel will hit the links with weekend coverage of  the PGA Canadian Open and the LPGA ShopRite Classic. 

Below is a snapshot of TV by the numbers for the week of May 30-June 5, highlighting the most-watched shows and networks using glass-level data from Vizio’s Inscape, and network and show TV ad impressions insights via iSpot.tv.

Most-Watched Shows and Networks

Via Inscape, Vizio’s TV data product with glass-level insights from a panel of more than 19 million active and opted-in smart TVs. Data is linear, live TV only and includes all episode types (new and reruns). Rankings are by percent share duration (i.e., time spent watching).

The NBA Finals are just two games in, but that’s enough to secure a watch-time lead for the association’s championship round. Games one and two between the Boston Celtics and Golden States Warriors combined for 1.68% of all minutes watched from May 30-June 5 — No. 1 among all programs during the timeframe.

Some additional insights about the top programming on TV:

• French Open action swings to No. 2 by watch-time as audiences watched Rafael Nadal take the men’s title (the 14th time he’s done so), while Iga Świątek won her second French Open in three tries.
• Our rankings are littered with live sports, especially at the top. Beyond the NBA Finals and French Open, the NHL (No. 4), MLB (No. 7) and PGA Tour (No. 9) all finish in the top 10 as well.
• Seinfeld soars to No. 18 in our rankings thanks to a Comedy Central marathon, after not appearing among the top 50 programs by watch-time the previous week.
• Among the other syndicated sitcoms included in this week’s rankings: Friends (No. 12), The Golden Girls (No. 20) and Two and a Half Men (No. 23).

ABC leaps to the top spot as the most-watched network, thanks in part to the NBA Finals. The network had 7.23% of watch-time on the week, up from 6.14% from May 23-29, when it placed third in our rankings.

Additional insights around the most-watched networks from May 30-June 5:

• HGTV climbs the ladder into the top 10 in our rankings, as audiences tuned into an abundance of Love It or List It episodes.
• Hallmark Channel also hops into the top 10 by minutes watched with an assist from the premiere of new movie Hidden Gems.
• History Channel bounds from No. 25 to No. 18 by watch-time week-over-week, in part due to a two-night documentary on Theodore Roosevelt.
• Paramount Network continues to lean into hit show Yellowstone, fueling a modest move from No. 23 to No. 21 by minutes watched week-over-week.

Top Shows and Networks by TV Ad Impressions

Via iSpot.tv, the always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company. Rankings are by TV ad impressions, for new episodes only. 

The NBA Finals scored the most TV ad impressions on the week, with 2.23 billion — 5.3% of the total. Those impressions are up nearly 40% year-over-year compared to the first two games of last year’s Finals, which took place in early July.

More data about the top programs by TV ad impressions:

• Despite the short week with the Memorial Day holiday, Good Morning America still increased TV ad impressions by over 6% compared to the previous week.
• MLB impressions increased by 63.7% week-over-week despite just four additional minutes of ad time (but this week featured action on ESPN, while the previous week had games on ESPN2 instead).
• The French Open’s later rounds led to more TV ad impressions, as the event delivered 175% more week-over-week.
• America’s Got Talent’s 17th season premiered on NBC on May 31, to the tune of 364.4 million impressions (0.86% of the total for the week and No. 18 in our ranking).

ABC nabs the top spot in our ad-impressions-by-network ranking, with 15.53 of impressions on the week. The NBA Finals accounts for over 32% of those after airing in primetime on Thursday night and Sunday night, respectively.

Additional insights around the top networks by impressions:

• With new episodes almost nightly, La Casa de los Famosos helped fuel Telemundo’s move from No. 11 to No. 9 by impressions week-over-week.
• College baseball and the Women’s College World Series combined for almost 29% of TV ad impressions on ESPN2, pushing the network from No. 17 to No. 14 by impressions week-over-week.
• Lifetime more than doubled impressions week-over-week, thanks in part to the most recent “where are they now?” episode of Married at First Sight (30% of Lifetime impressions on the week).
• Bravo impressions rose by 29% week-over-week as the Real Housewives of Dubai premiered as the newest addition to the successful franchise.

Below is a snapshot of TV by the numbers for the week of May 23-29, highlighting the most-watched shows and networks using glass-level data from Vizio’s Inscape, and network and show TV ad impressions insights via iSpot.tv.

Most-Watched Shows and Networks

Via Inscape, Vizio’s TV data product with glass-level insights from a panel of more than 19 million active and opted-in smart TVs. Data is linear, live TV only and includes all episode types (new and reruns). Rankings are by percent share duration (i.e., time spent watching).

With conference finals concluded, the NBA once again keeps its watch-time lead with 2.81% of all minutes watched from May 23-29. That’s up from 2.69% the previous week despite fewer games, as the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors both secured trips to the NBA Finals.

Some additional insights about the top programming on TV:

• Beyond the NBA, live sports remains hot, making up seven of the top 25 programs – including the NHL (No. 3), college softball (No. 9), college baseball (No. 11), PGA Tour golf (No. 13), French Open tennis (No. 15) and MLB (No. 16).
• Good Morning America and Today both make week-over-week moves by minutes watched, with the former jumping from No. 7 to No. 4 in our ranking.
• “Regular” SportsCenter is joined by SportsCenter With Scott Van Pelt in our ranking. The two combined for 1.29% of minutes watched from May 23-29.
• NCIS moves from No. 6 to No. 2 in our ranking week-over-week, securing 0.90% watch-time.

CBS keeps the top spot as the most-watched network, thanks in part to the PGA Tour’s Charles Schwab Challenge, which featured Sam Burns besting Scottie Scheffler in a playoff. The network had 6.61% of watch-time on the week.

Additional insights around the most-watched networks from May 23-29:

• Watch-time increased for both CNN and MSNBC amid coverage of the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
• In anticipation of Memorial Day cookouts, Food Network leaned into holiday-specific content – and saw total minutes watched rise from 1.23% to 1.36% week-over-week.
• Yellowstone wins again as Paramount Network climbs from No. 40 to No. 23 by watch-time week-over-week thanks in large part to marathon viewing of the show.
• NBC and ABC flip-flop as the former benefits from the Indy 500 (among other programming) to hop from No. 3 to No. 2 in our ranking week-over-week.

Top Shows and Networks by TV Ad Impressions

Via iSpot.tv, the always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company. Rankings are by TV ad impressions, for new episodes only. 

NBA TV ad impressions rose by over 6% week-over-week, with the conference finals delivering 3.25 billion impressions – or nearly 3.5 times more impressions than the nearest program (SportsCenter).

More data about the top programs by TV ad impressions:

• With an assist from its two-part season 18 finale, Grey’s Anatomy arrives in our ranking at No. 25 by impressions, after finishing outside the top 50 the previous week.
• Speaking of finales, Survivor wrapped up season 42 and delivered 0.95% of TV ad impressions on the week (No. 18 in our ranking).
• National MLB game TV ad impressions climbed by nearly 5% week-over-week, while minutes of advertising climbed by slightly more (over 7% on the week).
• Today made big moves week-over-week, as impressions soared by almost 15% week-over-week, and the show’s third hour saw a 16% climb.

CBS leads our ad-impressions-by-network ranking once again, with 14.37% of impressions on the week. Quiz and giveaway shows (including The Price Is Right and Let’s Make A Deal) account for close to 20% of the network’s impressions for the week.

Additional insights around the top networks by impressions:

• ESPN jumps from 6.3% to 7.7% of TV ad impressions week-over-week, with the NBA and NHL combining for nearly half of the network’s impressions from May 23-29.
• Discovery Channel boosts impressions by 18.7% week-over-week, leaning on new episodes of shows such as Expedition Unknown: Uncovered, Deadliest Catch and Street Outlaws: America’s List.
• Spanish-language networks Univision, Telemundo, and Galavision all make week-over-week gains by impressions share of voice, with Univision leading the way at 4.46% (No. 7 overall).
• History Channel climbs to No. 22 in our ranking (up from No. 24 the previous week), with TV ad impressions for The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch nearly doubling week-over-week.

The Indianapolis 500 revs up the lineup of TV sports events airing over the Memorial Day weekend.

NBC on Sunday will televise the 106th running of the venerable auto race from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This year’s event will be highlighted by the appearance of NASCAR great Jimmie Johnson, who will compete in the IndyCar race for the first time.

Also on Sunday, Fox will televise the NASCAR Cup Coca-Cola 600 race, while ESPN airs the Formula One: Monaco Grand Prix race.

In the ring, Showtime on Saturday will distribute a pay-per-view boxing card headlined by the Gervonta Davis-Rolando Romero lightweight championship fight. 

Also: Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin Trilogy Bout Set for September; Showtime Laces up for Gervonta Davis-Rolando Romero Fight 

On the ice, the NHL Playoffs continue Saturday on ESPN as the Carolina Panthers look to close out the New York Rangers in game 6 of their second-round Eastern Conference Playoff series.

ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball telecast originates from New York as the Mets host the Philadelphia Phillies. Peacock’s Sunday-morning baseball game features the Cincinnati Reds hosting the San Francisco Giants.

On the links, NBC and the Golf Channel will air final round coverage of the Senior PGA Championship, while CBS and Golf Channel will offer weekend coverage of the PGA Charles Schwab Challenge. On the tennis court, NBC and Tennis Channel will provide weekend coverage of the French Open.

ABC on Saturday will offer WNBA coverage as the Las Vegas Aces meet the Chicago Sky, while CBS on Sunday will televise the Phoenix Mercury-Atlanta Dream game.  

The USFL heads into its seventh week with three weekend games, including Saturday’s New Jersey Generals-Tampa Bay Bandits (USA Network) and New Orleans Breakers-Michigan Panthers (FS1) contests, as well as Sunday’s Birmingham Stallions-Pittsburgh Maulers (Fox) game. ■

Below is a snapshot of TV by the numbers for the week of May 16-22, showcasing the most-watched shows and networks using glass-level data from Vizio’s Inscape, and network and show TV ad impressions insights via iSpot.tv.

Most-Watched Shows and Networks

Via Inscape, Vizio’s TV data product with glass-level insights from a panel of more than 19 million active and opted-in smart TVs. Data is linear, live TV only and includes all episode types (new and reruns). Rankings are by percent share duration (i.e., time spent watching).

As the NBA Playoffs progress to the conference finals, they retain a lead by watch-time with 2.69% of minutes watched from May 16-22. Close on the NBA’s heels, however, is the 2022 PGA Championship, with 2.54% of watch-time.

Some additional insights about the top programming on TV:

• SportsCenter jumps to No. 4 by minutes watched, up from No. 10 the previous week, while increasing share of watch-time from 0.62% to 0.96%.
• The regional round of the Women’s College World Series helps college softball climb from No. 42 by minutes watched to No. 13 week-over-week.
• Coinciding with the theatrical release of Downton Abbey: A New Era, audiences watched plenty of Downton Abbey on TV, as the show accounted for 0.52% of the week’s watch-time.
• The First 48 gained a larger share of minutes watched week-over-week, from 0.42% to 0.48%, fueling a move from No. 20 to No. 16 by watch-time.

CBS supplants ABC as the most-watched network, thanks in part to the 2022 PGA Championship. The network hits 7.56% of watch-time on the week, which is up from 6.49% the previous week.

Additional insights around the most-watched networks from May 16-22:

• PGA Championship coverage has also been a boon to ESPN, which progresses from No. 7 to No. 6 by watch-time week-over-week.
• Paw Patrol powers part of Nickelodeon’s own week-over-week rise by minutes watched, from No. 19 to No. 16.
• TLC makes a modest climb from No. 20 to No. 19 week-over-week, thanks in part to both 90 Day Fiancé and 90 Day: The Single Life.
• USA Network makes a week-over-week watch-time move from No. 18 to No. 15, with assists from WWE Monday Night Raw and coverage of the final weekend of English Premier League action.

Top Shows and Networks by TV Ad Impressions

Via iSpot.tv, the always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company. Rankings are by TV ad impressions, for new episodes only. 

Despite fewer playoff games week-over-week, the NBA maintains its TV ad impressions lead, with 3.06 billion from May 16-22 — 5.98% of the week’s impressions overall. That’s almost double the share of impressions for the second-place programming, the PGA Championship, with 3.22% on the week.

More data about the top programs by TV ad impressions:

• More than half of this week’s top 25 programs by impressions are news and talk-related, led by Good Morning America at No. 4 (with 1.90% of impressions).
• Speaking of, GMA increased week-over-week impressions by 10.7%, despite slipping from No. 3 to No. 4 in our ranking.
• Impressions for The View climbed by more than 5% week-over-week, fueling a move from No. 16 to No. 14 in our ranking.
• Sports accounts for four of the top 10 spots by impressions, with that programming programs — the NBA, PGA Championship, SportsCenter and the NHL — accounting for 12.9% of the week’s ad impressions.

CBS stays at No. 1 in our ad-impressions-by-network ranking, collecting 15.95% of impressions on the week, which is up from 13.37% the previous week.

Additional insights around the top networks by impressions:

• ESPN got a boost from the PGA Championship (and other programs), making a short climb from No. 6 to No. 5 by impressions week-over-week.
• Of the cable news networks, both Fox News and MSNBC increased impressions week-over-week, with the former jumping by 6.4% and the latter by 0.7%.
• College softball accounts for about a third of ESPN2’s impressions on the week, as the network hops from No. 18 to No. 15 in our ranking.
• The Weather Channel is a week-over-week newcomer in our ranking, growing impressions from 0.44% (No. 29) to 0.49% (No. 25).

Below is a snapshot of TV by the numbers for the week of May 9-15, showcasing the most-watched shows and networks using glass-level data from Vizio’s Inscape, and network and show TV ad impressions insights via iSpot.tv.

Most-Watched Shows and Networks

Via Inscape, Vizio’s TV data product with glass-level insights from a panel of more than 19 million active and opted-in smart TVs. Data is linear, live TV only and includes all episode types (new and reruns). Rankings are by percent share duration (i.e., time spent watching).

The NBA and NHL continue their dominance of both TV watch-time and ad impressions. The NBA leads with 4.70% of overall watch-time, up from 3.92% last week. Meanwhile the NHL maintains a close second at 1.38% of watch-time, roughly even with the 1.33% from the previous week. 

Some additional insights about the top programming on TV:

• Crime procedurals remain viewer favorites, with seven populating the list. Of them, Chicago P.D. saw the highest week-over-week spike, rising from No. 23 last week to No. 11 this week.
• Law & Order re-entered the top 25, as did Family Feud.
• Syndicated sitcoms continue to do well, with Friends (No. 7), Two and a Half Men (No. 17) and The Golden Girls (No. 23) all roughly maintaining their relative positions week-over-week.

ABC continues its run as the most-watched network for a fifth consecutive week, largely due to the NBA Playoffs. The network fell slightly in overall minutes watched to 6.67% (from 7.05% last week) — which was still good enough to ward off a surging CBS, which passed NBC to take second place with 6.49% of minutes watched. NBC fell to third with 6.20%. 

Additional insights around the most-watched networks for the week:

• Ion and IFC flip positions, with Ion jumping a spot in the rankings from No. 9 to No. 8, and vice versa.
• TNT retains its No. 6 position on the strength of NHL and NBA playoff games, while overall minutes watched increased from 3.55% to 3.83%.
• The week’s biggest jump comes from TBS, spiking from No. 18 to No. 16 on the back of a 7% increase in minutes watched.
• Bravo enters the list at No. 25 — the only newcomer for the week.

Top Shows and Networks by TV Ad Impressions

Via iSpot.tv, the always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company. Rankings are by TV ad impressions, for new episodes only. 

The top TV shows by ad impressions ranking is dominated by NBA playoff games, which increased overall impressions to 4.9 billion from 4.3 billion last week. Second-place NHL playoffs increased ad impressions from 1.02 billion to 1.08 billion. 

More data about the top programs by TV ad impressions:

• The PGA Golf Tour rose to No. 8 from No. 18, increasing to over 566 million impressions.
• American Idol fell to No. 19 from No. 10, shedding over 193 million impressions vs. the previous week.
• Game shows increased their presence, with The Price Is Right rising a spot to No. 5, and Let’s Make a Deal entering the list at No. 14 after not appearing at all last week.
• Primetime news shows both gained and lost. ABC World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News both rose a spot week-over-week, while America’s Newsroom fell from No. 16 to No. 22, and Special Report With Bret Baier fell off the list completely, replaced by Jesse Watters Primetime at No. 24.

There was little change in the ad-impressions-by-network ranking, with ABC continuing to ride the NBA playoffs to the No. 1 spot despite impressions falling to 6.93 billion from 7.05 billion the previous week. 

Additional insights around the top networks by impressions:

• The top six networks all held their chart positions, despite a slight decline in overall impressions week-over-week.
• Univision overtook CNN for the No. 7 spot by a hair (just 7 million impressions), while Fox gained ground over Telemundo to enter the top 10.
• Bravo entered the list this week at No. 20, while the History Channel fell off completely.

This weekend’s lineup of TV sports events starts on the ice as the first round of the NHL playoffs commences with five, game-seven matchups over the weekend. 

ESPN will televise the Saturday afternoon contest between the Boston Bruins and the Carolina Hurricanes as well a late night game between the Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers. TNT will air a primetime matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

On Sunday, NHL Playoff game-seven matchups include the Dallas Stars battling the Calgary Flames and the Pittsburgh Penguins facing the New York Rangers. 

On the basketball court, the NBA Playoffs will conclude its second round with two,  game-seven matchups on Sunday. The Milwaukee Bucks will travel to Boston to meet the Celtics in the final game of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on ABC, while the Phoenix Suns will host the Dallas Mavericks in a Western Conference semifinal series matchup on TNT. 

In the boxing ring, Showtime will televise a Saturday night boxing card headlined by the Jermell Charlo-Brian Castano rematch junior middleweight unification championship bout. Also, FITE TV will distribute the Sergey Kovalev-Tervel Pulev cruiserweight bout. 

ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball telecast pits the San Francisco Giants against the St. Louis Cardinals. 

CBS and Golf Channel will feature final round weekend coverage from the LPGA’s Founders Cup and the PGA’s Byron Nelson golf tournaments, while USA Network and Peacock will air multiple Premier League games on Sunday.

NBC on Saturday afternoon will televise the IndyCar GMR Grand Prix auto race. On Sunday, FS1 will air the NASCAR Cup Series AdventHealth 400 race. ■ 

Below is a snapshot of TV by the numbers for the week of May 2-8, showcasing the most-watched shows and networks using glass-level data from Vizio’s Inscape, and network and show TV ad impressions insights via iSpot.tv.

Most-Watched Shows and Networks

Via Inscape, Vizio’s TV data product with glass-level insights from a panel of more than 19 million active and opted-in smart TVs. Data is linear, live TV only and includes all episode types (new and reruns). Rankings are by percent share duration (i.e., time spent watching).

Entertaining conference semifinal series mean the NBA playoffs are once again the most-watched programming in this week’s watch-time ranking. From May 2-8, the NBA accounted for 3.92% of all TV minutes watched -- up from 3.53% the previous week, despite fewer games.

Some additional insights about the top programming on TV:

• The first round of the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs meant wall-to-wall hockey across ESPN networks and TNT, and 1.33% of the week’s minutes watched.
• Despite a race that ran just two minutes, the 148th Kentucky Derby still scored 0.69% of TV watch-time on the week.
• Along with hockey and the Kentucky Derby, ABC World News Tonight With David Muir is the other week-over-week newcomer in our ranking by watch-time, moving up from No. 30 to No. 24.
• Syndicated sitcoms held strong for another week, with Friends (No. 9), Two and a Half Men (No. 15) and The Golden Girls (No. 22) all appearing in this week’s ranking.

ABC remains the most-watched network for a fourth consecutive week, thanks in part to the NBA playoffs. The network scored 7.05% of minutes watched for the week, edging out NBC (6.45%) and CBS (6.40%) for the top spot.

More insights around the most-watched networks from May 2-8:

• IFC climbs again, from No. 9 to No. 8 by watch-time, once again relying on syndicated sitcoms like Two and a Half Men, Everybody Loves Raymond and Parks and Recreation.
• NHL and NBA playoff action fueled a modest minutes-watched climb for TNT, increasing watch-time from 3.14% to 3.55% week-over-week.
• History Channel vaults from No. 23 to No. 20 by watch-time, via new episodes of The Curse of Oak Island, among other programs.
• INSP is the lone week-over-week network newcomer, moving up from No. 26 to No. 25 by minutes watched thanks in part to Gunsmoke syndicated airings.

Top Shows and Networks by TV Ad Impressions

Via iSpot.tv, the always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company. Rankings are by TV ad impressions, for new episodes only. 

NBA playoff games still reign supreme with the most TV ad impressions from May 2-8, delivering more than 4.3 billion -- 8.3% of the total on TV and more than four times the impressions served by the Stanley Cup playoffs (the No. 2 program).

More data about the top programs by TV ad impressions:

• The Kentucky Derby is No. 7 by share of impressions on the week, with 1.37% as viewers tuned in both before and after the country’s most popular horse race.
• With over a billion TV ad impressions during the first week of playoff action, the NHL increased impressions by nearly 25x compared to the final week of the regular season.
• Live sports remained a big impressions draw this week, with the NBA (No. 1), NHL (No. 2), Kentucky Derby (No. 7), MLB (No. 11) and PGA Tour (No. 18) all finishing among the top 25 programs by impressions.
• The View increased impressions by nearly 16% week-over-week, inching up from No. 18 to No. 17 in our ranking.

ABC’s NBA Playoffs emphasis delivers the top spot in our ad-impressions-by-network ranking again, from May 2-8. The NBA accounted for nearly 15% of the network’s impressions on the week.

Additional insights around the top networks by impressions from May 2-8:

• Kentucky Derby coverage is among the biggest reasons for NBC’s 15% week-over-week impressions increase, as the race accounted for over 700 million impressions for the network.
• Popular reality show Exatlón Estados Unidos delivered over 22% of Telemundo impressions for the week, powering a jump from No. 11 to No. 10 in our ranking, week-over-week.
• Fox Sports 1 impressions rise 31% week-over-week, thanks in large part to NASCAR coverage on the network (accounting for over 53% of FS1’s impressions for the week).
• Programming on May 2 accounted for almost 25% of Fox’s impressions for the week, thanks to 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star.

The weekend TV sports lineup for the Mother’s Day holiday weekend starts on the pro basketball court with second round coverage of the NBA Playoffs. 

On Saturday, ABC will offer game three coverage of the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks series, followed by primetime coverage of the Memphis Grizzlies-Golden State Warriors game three contest. 

On Sunday, ESPN will televise game four of the Phoenix Suns-Dallas Mavericks series, followed by TNT game four coverage of the Miami Heat-Philadelphia 76’ers series. 

The WNBA opens the first weekend of its 2022 regular season with two matchups on Saturday – ESPN’s Connecticut Sun-New York Liberty and CBSSN’s Atlanta Dream-Dallas Wings telecasts – as well as a Sunday ESPN doubleheader featuring the Washington Mystics-Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm-Las Vegas Aces games.

On Saturday, the NHL playoffs continue with first round coverage of the Florida Panthers-Washington Capitals series on ESPN, followed by a TNT tripleheader that includes the Colorado Avalanche-Nashville Predators, NY Rangers-Pittsburgh Penguins and Calgary Flames-Dallas Stars series. 

NBC on Saturday will televise live the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby from Churchill Downs in Louisville. Also Saturday, the National Women’s Soccer League will hold its Challenge Cup final between the Washington Spirit and the North Carolina Courage, which will air live on CBS. 

In the octagon, ESPN Plus will stream the UFC 274 pay-per-view fight card featuring the main event match between lightweights Charles Oliveria and Justin Gaethje. In the ring, DAZN and PPV.com will offer the Canelo Alvarez-Dmitry Bivol light heavyweight championship fight. 

Also: Digital Sportsplay: In Demand Punches Up Streaming Pay-Per-View Service

On the links, CBS and Golf Channel will televise the final rounds of the PGA Wells Fargo Championship pro golf event. On the bowling lanes, Fox on Sunday will televise the semifinal round of the KIA PBA Playoffs.

ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball telecast features National League rivals the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs. ■ 

TV sports events for Father’s Day Weekend tee off with NBC and Golf Channel’s coverage of the U.S. Open on Saturday and Sunday. Bryson DeChambeau is still hoping to repeat as champion at the Open, which is is the third of four major PGA championships. Last year’s U.S. Open was postponed until September due to the pandemic. 

The NBA Playoffs conclude its second round this weekend with Saturday night’s Game 7 Milwaukee Bucks-Brooklyn Nets Eastern Conference series game live on TNT. If necessary Game 7 of the Atlanta Hawks-Philadelphia 76’ers and L.A. Clippers-Utah Jazz series will take place on Sunday night.

Also Read: Weekly Cable Ratings: TNT Scores Third Straight Primetime Win 

USA Network Saturday will air Game 4 of the Tampa Bay Lightning-N.Y. Islanders NHL Conference Final series, while NBCSN will air Game 3 of the Vegas Golden Knights-Montreal Canadiens Conference Finals.

ESPN Saturday will televise games one and two of the College World Series, with ESPN2 carrying games three and four on Sunday. On the MLB front, Fox Saturday in primetime will televise the Chicago White Sox-Houston Astros game, while ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball telecast features the St. Louis Cardinals at the Atlanta Braves. 

Showtime and ESPN will step into the boxing ring with competing Saturday night fight cards. Showtime will feature the Jermall Charlo-Juan Macias Montiel middleweight championship fight, while ESPN will televise the Naoya Inoue-Michael Dasmarinas bantamweight title match. On PPV, Boxing Hall of Fame fighter Julio Cesar Chavez will step into the ring after a more than 15-year layoff to fight an exhibition match against Hector Camacho Jr. 

Also Read: Boxing Legend Julio Cesar Chavez to Fight in PPV Exhibition Bout

TNT has secured its second straight weekly primetime ratings win, thanks to its coverage of the second round of the NBA Playoffs, according to Nielsen.

TNT averaged 3.1 million viewers to take the top spot during the week of April 30 to May 6, according to Nielsen. Fox News was second with 2.3 million viewers, followed by MSNBC with 1.7 million viewers.

NBC Sports Network’s NHL playoffs coverage and ESPN’s NBA post-season telecasts helped both networks tie for fourth place with 1.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen.

HGTV, USA Network and TBS (all tied with 1.2 million viewers), History (978,000) and Investigation Discovery (930,000) rounded out the top 10 most watched networks in primetime.

Fox News was the top choice for viewers on a 24-hour basis for the 17 consecutive week, besting TNT, MSNBC, Nickelodeon and HGTV, said network officials. 

When NBC dropped the puck on its coverage of the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup Playoffs earlier this week, it did so with the hopes of boosting viewership by offering wall-to-wall live coverage across several networks and platforms.

Along with airing every first-round playoff games across four networks — NBC, NBCSN, USA Network and CNBC — its telecasts were not blacked out for the first time in local-team markets since NBC Sports Group acquired the NHL’s rights in 2005. Boston and Pittsburgh were the only markets where first-round blackouts remained in place, NBC said.

 “The fans are the real winners here,” NBC Sports and NBCSN president of programming Jon Miller said of the side-by-side telecasts. “They now have more options than ever to watch first-round playoff coverage of their local teams.”

The losers could be the regional sports networks, which will now have to compete with national network coverage for eyeballs — although for most hockey fans, local-team telecasts are often more palatable than national network coverage.

At worst, NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood said the new setup should eliminate the confusion over which games are blacked out in which markets. “Now you know where to go,” Flood said during a pre-playoffs conference call with reporters. “We like that. Simplicity is a good thing.”

 On the digital side, the NBC Sports app will provide live streaming of every NHL playoff game televised by NBC, NBCN, USA and CNBC, giving hockey fans multiple points of entry to watch live playoff games on multiple platforms.  

With baseball season in full swing — and with the LeBron James and Kevin Durant-led NBA Playoffs launching this weekend — NBC Sports is hoping its one-stop shop approach to distributing the chase for the Stanley Cup will keep hockey’s post-season excitement competitive in a crowded TV sports arena by streamlining the fan experience and making the competition easier to find.

With 93 postseason games to light the Nielsen lamp, the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs rank as the second-most-watched since NBC Sports Group began airing National Hockey League action in 2006.

The 2014 playoffs averaged 1.44 million viewers across NBC, NBCSN and CNBC, trailing only last year’s 1.47 million average during the NBC era. All told, the recently completed postseason ranks as the fourth-most-watched over the past 20 years since data became available in 1994: Fox and ESPN averages 1.56 million viewers in 1996, and 1.52 million the following year.

The five-game Stanley Cup Final -- the Los Angeles Kings defeated the New York Rangers to claim their second title in the last three years -- averaged just over 5 million viewers across NBC and NBCSN, only the fifth Final round since 1994 to average over 5 million. Overall, it was the fifth-most watched Final, with the high mark remaining last year’s the3 5.75 million for last year’s Final between Chicago and Boston.  The June 13 deciding fifth telecast, which the Kings won in double overtime, drew 6 million viewers to NBC.

On the cable side, NBCSN and CNBC aired 77 games that averaged a 0.66 rating and 1.098 million viewers to rank as the most-watched NHL playoffs on cable in 17 years, behind only the 1.21 million on ESPN/ESPN2 in 1997. That was up 10% from the 2013 cable average of a 0. 60 rating and 1.000 million viewers.

Relative to streaming, NBC Sports Live Extra netted 1.52 million uniques and 201.50 million minutes watched over the 93-game playoff span. Those metrics are the best-ever for an NHL postseason, representing jumps of 180% and 183%, respectively, from last year’s campaign.

The season ender, which was presented on an unauthenticated basis, delivered record traffic for an NHL game on NBC Sports Live Extra for virtually every metric, including 274,473 uniques and over 11.4 million live minutes. For its part, Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals was the best authenticated performer ever -- the telecast was on NBCSN -- with 8.15 million minutes watched.

The top 5 streamed games of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs (minutes watched):

1.   June 13 – Game 5: New York Rangers @ Los Angeles Kings – 11.42 million (unauthenticated)
2.      June 7 - Game 2: New York Rangers @ Los Angeles Kings – 9.02 million (unauthenticated)
3.      June 1 – Game 7: Los Angeles Kings @ Chicago Blackhawks – 8.15 million (authentication-required)
4.      June 4 – Game 1: New York Rangers @ Los Angeles Kings – 6.49 million (unauthenticated)
5.      May 28 - Game 5: Los Angeles Kings @ Chicago Blackhawks – 5.49 million (authentication-required)

Source: NBC Sports Group

Home ice has always been an important ingredient to a successful run in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. NBCSN, in its latest experiential puck sport promotion, will provide fans with a personal taste of that tenet.

The national cable network, the primary TV home to the National Hockey League, is sending a traveling ice pop truck to Minnesota carrying free artisanal “Home Ice Pops,” with each icy edible handmade to match the Minnesota Wild's team colors. Featuring fresh fruit, the key ingredient is the home ice itself, as the pops are created using purified water and ice sourced directly from the Wild’s arena.

Parked alongside Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis on May 6 from 11:30 to 1:30 (CT) and outside Xcel Energy Center before Game 3 of the Wild’s series with the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks, the "NBCSN Home Ice Pop Truck Tour" will distribute approximately 4,000 pops in the Twin Cities over the course of Tuesday and on Friday, May 9.

Following its Twin Cities traipse, other ice pop trucks will wend their way to Los Angeles, Anaheim and Chicago, where they will spend two days in each city and bring the hometown ice-pop advantage to hockey fans as the Stanley Cup Playoffs unfold on NBCSN (see tour schedule below).

“With NBCSN as the exclusive home for the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, we are thrilled to bring this unique experience to passionate hockey fans,” said Jon Miller, president, programming, NBC Sports and NBCSN. “This has been a tremendous year for hockey with the inaugural Stadium Series, second season of Wednesday Night Rivalry, the Olympics, and now a thrilling post-season all posting record viewership. The continued success of the sport further demonstrates the value of NBCSN.”

The Home Ice Pops promotion marks NBC Sports Group’s most recent initiative with Civic Entertainment Group.

Before the puck dropped on the 2014 playoffs, the New York-headquartered agency helped the sports programmer deliver special “Puck Cakes" from Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery to key media and hockey influencers as a means to explain the league’s new bracket playoff format. Last year, Crumbs sold "Stanley Cup Cupcakes," sporting appropriate team logos, in all of the playoff cities. In 2012, NBC and Civic let NHL fans in Times Square quaff from a giant Stanley Cup drinking fountain erected at the Crossroads of the World.

Through the opening round of the NHL playoffs, NBCSN netted significant Nielsen advances, averaging 614,000 viewers over 28 games, up 35% from the 455,000 watchers during the 26-game first round in 2013.

NBCSN Home Ice Pop Truck Tour

·Minnesota – 5/6, 5/9

·Los Angeles – 5/8, 5/10

·Anaheim – 5/8, 5/10

· Chicago – 5/9, 5/11