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NHL, NBA tally viewership gains leading into conference finals

Heading into the conference finals, networks covering the NBA and NHL playoffs have rung up audience advances.

NBCUniversal Media LLC's NBC Sports Group has scored the most-watched Stanley Cup Playoffs through the first two rounds since 2012, while Turner Broadcasting System Inc.'s TNT (US) has recorded its best mark entering the NBA conference finals since 2014. Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN (US) and ABC (US) are also in positive territory with their coverage of pro hoops' 2018 postseason.

The playoff improvement contrasts with the audience downturn NFL carriers sustained with their postseason coverage. Pro football action, though, draws considerably more viewers than any other U.S. sport and the NFL remains the most-watched programming in all of linear television.

On the NHL watch, the NBC Sports Group through the completion of the second round, spanning 66 games, averaged a Total Audience Delivery, or TAD -- across NBC (US), NBCSN (US), CNBC (US), USA Network Inc, The Golf Channel Inc., NBCSports.com and NBC Sports App -- of 1.07 million watchers, according to data from Nielsen Holdings. That’s the most since 1.15 million viewers for that point in the 2012 playoffs, and 8% more than the 988,000 last year and 15% above the 925,000 in 2016.

The Winnipeg Jets' 5-1 victory in Game 7 on May 20 averaged a TAD of 1.61 million viewers on NBCSN, the website and app, making it the most-watched Western Conference second-round game since Chicago-Minnesota drew 1.69 million on May 7, 2015.

Winnipeg’s win capped the most-watched second round in Stanley Cup Playoffs history, according to the NBC Sports Group. For 24 contests across NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, the website and app, the playoffs averaged a TAD delivery of 1.57 million viewers. That was up 15% and 22% from the 1.37 million and 1.29 million during the second rounds in 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Now, the question becomes what impact the non-Nielsen-measured Canadian entry will have on the audience for the Western Conference finals. Winnipeg’s opponent, the Vegas Golden Knights, are a compelling story, as the franchise looks to win the title during its rookie season.

In the Eastern Conference finals, the Washington Capitals, who dethroned their nemesis, the two-time-defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins, defeated Tampa Bay 4-2 in their series opener on May 11.

On the hardwood, TNT has averaged 4.0 million viewers for 35 telecasts through the second round, a 5% gain from the comparable stage of the 2017 playoffs, according to Nielsen data, and the most since 2014.

According to Turner Sports, those deliveries, led by the 6.1 million who watched Game 4 of the Cleveland-Indiana opening round series on April 22, helped push TNT to the top of all cable networks in prime time over the past three weeks. Moreover, the network’s NBA coverage ranked as the top program 18 times across broadcast and cable among males 18 to 34, through the first two playoff rounds.

"Inside the NBA," TNT's Emmy-winning studio show, has also benefited from interest in the postseason. Its late-night edition has averaged 2 million viewers, the most since 2014, and 6% above 2017 levels, recording gains across all key demos.

For their part, the average audience on ESPN and ABC has edged up 1% to a 4.21 million viewers for 21 contests. Results were boosted by Game 7 of the Cleveland-Indiana first round match-up on ABC. The April 29 telecast garnered an average of 6.8 million viewers, best in the 2018 playoffs to date. It also ranks as the most-watched opening round Game 7, dating back to 2003, according to an ESPN spokesman.

Under their rights deal with the NBA, TNT and ESPN/ABC alternate coverage of the conference finals, season to season. This year, the Disney-owned networks will present the Eastern Conference battle between Boston and Cleveland, which is trying to reach the championship round for the fourth consecutive year with LeBron James. ABC will televise the first game on May 13, while the remaining contests are scheduled to air on ESPN.

Out West, TNT will present the Western Conference Finals' confrontation between the defending champion Golden State Warriors, and the Houston Rockets, which tallied the best mark during the 2017-18 regular season. Game One tips off on TNT on May 14.