TNT released their ratings from the first round of NBA playoff coverage today, citing a double-digit increase in viewer ship from last season. 

The Turner Sports network scored big with its Round 1 playoffs coverage yielding a 10% increase in total viewers and average US rating over the year prior helping the network win the month of April on cable.

The network also experienced its best Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs since 1994 with significant growth in households, key adult demos and key male demos.

Through the 22 Round 1 games on TNT, the network’s double-digit gains included:

• +10% in average US rating (2.1 vs. 1.9)
• +10% in total viewers (2,970,000 vs. 2,677,000)
• +11% in households (2,335,000 vs. 2,095,000)
• + 18% in P18-34
• + 18% in P18-49
• + 21% in P25-54
• + 25% in M18-34
• + 21% in M18-49
• + 20% in M25-54

Driving the growth has been an increase in viewing from men 18-34, with that demographic up 25 percent. 

The spike in the ratings can be attributed to outstanding play by some of the NBA’s rising stars.

In his first career playoff series, New Orleans’ Chris Paul led the Hornets to a win against the Dallas Mavericks, needing just five games to close out the series. In those five games, the 23-year-old averaged 24.6 points, 12 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 2 steals per game on 50% shooting from the floor. 

22-year-old Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic also led his team to a series win against the Toronto Raptors in just five games. In three of those games, Howard posted 20 points and 20 rebounds. For the series, he averaged 22.6 points, 18.2 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game on an incredible 63% shooting from the field.

Other areas of intrigue during the first round included several tantalizing match-ups.

The Atlanta Hawks forced a game seven against the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed, the Boston Celtics, as the home team won each game of the series.

Smack talk, technical fouls, ejections and suspensions dominated the headlines in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ four-to-two series win over the Washington Wizards. 

In a rematch of last year’s Western Conference semifinals, the Phoenix Suns proved that even with Shaq, they still couldn’t beat the San Antonio Spurs, as their season ended after a five-game series.

In the Western Conference four-five match-up, Tracy McGrady’s bid for his first playoff series win fell short once again, as his Houston Rockets lost to the Utah Jazz, four games to two.

Source: TNT

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