ESPN and TNT have both seen a significant increase in viewership during their coverage of the NBA Playoffs this season, specifically in the Conference Finals. As reported by Sports Media Watch:

Eight of the ten most watched programs on cable for the month of May (April 28-May 25) were NBA Playoff games. The most watched program of the month was Game 7 of the Spurs/Hornets series, which drew 6.5 million viewers. TNT won the month of May in prime time, and saw its ratings increase 10% from last year. ESPN finished fourth, with ratings up 25%.

The final two games of the Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs on TNT were the highest rated NBA games on cable this season. Game 4 drew a whopping 7.2 million viewers, up 53% from the 4.7 million that the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers attracted last season. The deciding Game 5 produced 6.8 million viewers, an increase of 21% from the 5.6 million that saw the double-overtime Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2007.

Viewership for the NBA Conference Finals.
5.4 mil: DET/BOS Gm 1 (Tue., 5/20, 8:30 PM ESPN); up 59% from UTA/SA Gm 2 '07.
6.2 mil: SA/LAL Gm 1 (Wed., 5/21, 9 PM TNT); no game on comparable date in '07.
5.7 mil: DET/BOS Gm 2 (Thu., 5/22, 8:30 PM ESPN); up 33% from CLE/DET Gm 2 in '07.
5.5 mil: SA/LAL Gm 2 (Fri., 5/23, 9 PM TNT); no game on comparable date in '07.
5.5 mil: BOS/DET Gm 3 (Sat., 5/24, 8:30 PM ABC); up 17% from SA/UTA Gm 3 in '07.
5.7 mil: LAL/SA Gm 3 (Sun., 5/25, 8:30 PM TNT); up 30% from DET/CLE Gm 3 in '07.
6.1 mil: BOS/DET Gm 4 (Mon., 5/26, 8:30 PM ESPN); up 33% from SA/UTA Gm 4 in '07.
7.2 mil: LAL/SA Gm 4 (Tue., 5/27, 9 PM TNT); up 53% from DET/CLE Gm 4 in '07.
6.4 mil: DET/BOS Gm 5 (Wed., 5/28, 8:30 PM ESPN); up 60% from UTA/SA Gm 5 in '07.
6.8 mil: SA/LAL Gm 5 (Thu., 5/29, 9 PM TNT); up 21% from CLE/DET Gm 5 in '07.

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Nick Kappel is a staff member for the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey.

He can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network's Author Profiles