ESPN hit a ratings slam dunk during the first week of the summer ratings period, riding its NBA playoffs coverage to a weekly ratings win.
ESPN drew 3.2 million viewers for the week of May 26 to June 1 to top all basic cable networks, according to Nielsen. TNT’s coverage of the NBA’s Western Conference finals pushed the drama.boom network to a second place finish with 2.9 million viewers, while History finished third with 2.3 million watchers.
NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) skated to a fourth place finish with its coverage of the NHL playoffs, while last year’s summer ratings champion USA Network finished fifth with 1.7 million viewers. Disney Channel (1.6 million viewers); TBS (1.5 million), Fox News (1.3 million); HGTV (1.3 million) and A&E Network rounded out the top 10.
Nickelodeon was tops on a total day basis, averaging 1.6 million viewers, followed by Disney Channel (1.3 million) and TNT (1.2 million).
NBA and NHL playoff games represented the majority of the top 10 most watched shows of the week, according to Nielsen. A June 1 episode of HBO’s Game Of Thrones finished in third place, while a May 29 episode of History’s Pawn Stars secured the 9th spot on the list.
Top 10 Most-Watched Programs For The Week of May 26 to June 1
DateShow NetworkTotal Viewers
5/31 NBA Playoffs: San Antonio-Oklahoma City TNT 8.1 million
5/28 NBA Playoffs: Miami-Indiana ESPN 7.3 million
6/1 Game Of Thrones HBO 7.1 million
5/26 NBA Playoffs: Indiana-Miami ESPN 7.0 million
5/29 NBA Playoffs: Oklahoma City-San Antonio TNT 6.9 million
5/30 NBA Playoffs: Indiana-Miami ESPN 6.8 million
5/27 NBA Playoffs: San Antonio-Oklahoma City TNT 6.4 million
6/1 NHL Playoffs: Los Angeles/Chicago NBCSN 4.1 million
5/29 Pawn Stars History 4.1 million
5/30 SportsCenter ESPN 3.8 million
Source: Nielsen
