Ratings Roundup: Knicks, Celtics Lead TNT to Big Day One of NBA Playoffs

TNT opened the 2011 NBA Playoffs on a high noted, as the opening day triple header on April 17 was the highest rated and most watched Day 1 in Turner’s 27-years of NBA Playoffs coverage. Overall, the Tripleheader averaged 2.8 rating, up +27% (2.2) over last year. The day was highlighted by the Boston Celtics win over the New York Knicks, which averaged nearly 6 million viewers and logged a 3.1 ratings…

…NESN’s coverage of Monday Night’s 4-2 Bruins win over Montreal in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series was the highest rated Bruins playoff game in network history that was not a Game 7, garnering a 10.7 household rating in the Boston DMA. Only 3 other Bruins games have earned higher ratings on NESN since the network launched in 1984, all of which were Game 7 of a playoff series…

…Versus set a network record by averaging 534,328 viewers with their opening night triple-header last week, the best opening night in its six years of Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage and a 12% increase over last year…

…In Canada, CBC earned a 29% increase over last year by averaging 1.58 million viewers for its two opening night playoff broadcasts, highlighted by its coverage of Chicago-Vancouver, up 207% over the comparable game last year (Colorado-San Jose). TSN’s telecast of New York-Washington delivered 664,000 viewers; good for a 38% gain compared to last year’s opening playoff broadcast featuring two U.S. based teams (Philadelphia-New Jersey, 481,000 viewers)…

…Locally, Comcast SportsNet’s scored with its Game 1 coverage of the Washington-New York series, posting a 6.2 rating in the D.C. market, making it the second-highest Capitals rating in network history, behind only Game 7 of last year’s first-round series vs. Montreal (8.10) and up 21% over last year’s Game 1 against Montreal. The game also earned strong ratings in New York despite head-to-head competition from the Knicks, Yankees, and Mets. The 3.4 local rating in New York on MSG Plus made it the highest-rated Conference Quarterfinal telecast for the Rangers since 1997…

…On ROOT Sports in Pittsburgh, the Penguins earned a massive 16.2 for its win over Tampa Bay. Detroit responded to the Red Wings Game 1 victory over Phoenix with a 9.4 rating on Fox Sports Detroit, while the Blackhawks drew a 5.1 on Comcast SportsNet for its Game 1 loss in Vancouver…

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