The ultimate buzzkill for the network: a sweep in a playoff series.
The NHL got hit with the bug with the Los Angeles-St. Louis series. The Kings’ four-game run concluded with NBC doing a 1.0 overnight rating for Sunday’s finale, by far the lowest rating for a playoff game on NBC this year. The previous low was 1.5. In fact, it was the worst rating for a playoff game on NBC since 2009.
Meanwhile, the NBA has had two first-round sweeps. USA Today’s Michael Hiestand reports:
Here’s what happens when you gets lopsided playoff series, in any sport: You lose TV viewer eyeballs.
In weekend NBA action on ABC, TNT and ESPN, nine games got lower overnight ratings than comparable TV coverage last year. Just one game — ABC’s Miami-New York game Sunday — topped last year’s levels.
The only thing worse than a sweep is a five-game series. There’s a good chance all six remaining first-round series could be closed out in game 5.
The NBA and its TV partners obviously are hoping for better luck in the second round.
i can’t be alone in thinking the NBA, maybe the NHL, playoffs take too long. that has to hurt TV-watching momentum. imagine all the people who watch a game and love it. then, they try and find the game the next day or the next. oh, right. the game is the next day. if they hang around for that game, then it happens again. jeez, the NBA first round lasts at least two weeks. that’s nuts.