TNT ends Round 2 with a bang for NBA Playoffs

From TNT Sports -

TNT CONCLUDES ITS SECOND ROUND COVERAGE WITH MOST WATCHED AND HIGHEST RATED NBA PLAYOFFS TO-DATE IN CABLE TELEVISION HISTORY, AVERAGING A 3.0 U.S. HH RATING AND 6 MILLION TOTAL VIEWERS, +25% AND +33%, RESPECTIVELY FROM A YEAR AGO

TNT tips-off Exclusive Eastern Conference Finals Coverage featuring

#1 seed Chicago and #2 seed Miami on Sunday, May 15 at 8 p.m. (ET)

TNT's coverage of the 2011 NBA Playoffs continues to establish record-setting numbers for the network as the most-watched and highest-rated basketball postseason to-date in cable television history and has helped establish TNT as one of the top networks in all of television during its telecast windows among male viewership. Through the first two rounds of the NBA Playoffs (35 total games), the network is averaging a 3.0 U.S. HH Rating, (+25%, 2.4 U.S. HH Rating last year), 4,823,000 Total Viewers (+33%, 3,638,000 last year) and 3,534,000 Households (+29%, 2,735,000 last year). Last year TNT aired 33 games through the first two rounds of the NBA Playoffs. TNT’s second round coverage during Primetime (10 games) also out-delivered all of television, both broadcast and cable, in primetime averages on six nights with M18-34 and five nights with M18-49.

Overall, TNT’s 2011 NBA Playoffs coverage has also delivered strong double-digit growth across all key demos, including:

A18-34 +41% (1,598,000 vs. 1,130,000)
A18-49 +38% (2,776,000 vs. 2,011,000)
A25-54 +33% (2,484,000 vs. 1,866,000)
M18-34 +40% (1,118000 vs. 800,000)
M18-49 +39% (1,974,000 vs. 1,417,000)
M25-54 +34% (1,747,000 vs. 1,299,000)

Both the network’s first and second rounds of coverage have individually delivered record-setting cable television ratings and audiences. TNT’s 23 First Round games delivered an average of 2.7 U.S. HH Rating, (+29%, 2.1 U.S. HH Rating last year), 4,179,000 Total Viewers (+32%, 3,174,000 last year) and 3,091,000 Households (+27%, 2,430,000 last year). The network’s 12 Second Round games delivered an average of 3.7 U.S. HH Rating, (+23%, 3.0 U.S. HH Rating last year), 6,001,000 Total Viewers (+28%, 4,687,000 last year) and 4,346,000 Households (+27%, 3,424,000 last year).

The NBA Playoffs on TNT to-date are also delivering significant double-digit growth with affluent viewers with a household income of $100,000+ or +$125,000 across P18-34, P18-49 and P25-54. The growth for both affluent categories is the most of any professional sports league, playoffs or regular season.

2011 vs. 2010 $100K+ 2011 vs. 2010 $125K+

Households: +31% / P2+ +37% Households: +40% / P2+ +49%

A18-34: +59% / M18-34 +57% A18-34: +71% / M18-34 +56%

A18-49: +43% / M18-49 +42% A18-49: +50% / M18-49 +43%

A25-54: +39% / M25-54 +40% A25-54: +44% / M25-54 +41%

TNT’s exclusive coverage of the Eastern Conference Finals begins on Sunday, May 15 with Game #1 of the Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls at 8 p.m. (ET). The Miami Heat’s ‘Big 3’ of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh visit the Chicago Bulls, who had the best record in the NBA this season, and NBA Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose.

TNT’s postseason success follows its most-watched and highest-rated season in its 27 years of airing NBA basketball. During its 52-game regular season, the NBA on TNT averaged a 1.6 U.S. household rating (+45% vs. 1.1 for last year’s corresponding coverage); 2,453,000 total viewers (+42% vs. 1,723,000); and 1,826,000 households (+39% vs. 1,315,000). In addition, this season’s audience is +30% larger than Turner’s second-best regular-season audience from 1995-96 (1,885,000). Also, TNT aired three of the top five all-time most-watched NBA regular season games in cable television history this season.