or


[12/26/18 - 09:22 AM]
Highest-Rated NBA Christmas Day of ESPN & ABC Era Based on Combined Overnight Ratings from Nielsen (Excluding Shortened Season in 2011)
ESPN spins the numbers for Tuesday, December 25.
[via press release from ESPN]

Highest-Rated NBA Christmas Day of ESPN & ABC Era Based on Combined Overnight Ratings from Nielsen (Excluding Shortened Season in 2011)

· Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers Broadcast Generates 6.5 Metered Market Rating and Matches Fourth Highest Rated Christmas Game Ever on ESPN and ABC

· ABC's NBA Christmas Tripleheader Up 17 Percent from Last Year

· Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers Thriller Up 27 Percent from 2017

· ESPN's Portland Trail Blazers vs. Utah Jazz Telecast Draws Highest-Rated Christmas Game in Late Window Since 2015

2018 is the highest-rated NBA Christmas Day of the ESPN and ABC era (since 2002), based on combined overnight ratings from Nielsen (excluding the shortened season that began on Christmas in 2011). ESPN and ABC's coverage of the five-game slate generated an 18.7 combined metered market rating, up from a 16.0 rating last year.

The highly anticipated matchup between the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers matched the fourth highest rated NBA Christmas Day game ever on ESPN and ABC. The Lakers 127-101 victory over the Warriors delivered a 6.5 metered market rating combined on ESPN and ABC. It is also the highest-rated NBA Christmas prime-time game ever on ESPN and ABC. It was up 97 percent from last year's comparable game.

Overall, ABC's tripleheader averaged a 4.9 metered market rating, up 17 percent from 2017. The 5:30 p.m. ET broadcast between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers generated a 4.7 metered market rating, up 27 percent from Celtics vs. Wizards last year. The 3 p.m. Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game delivered a 3.8 rating.

ESPN's 10:30 p.m. telecast of the Portland Trail Blazers vs. Utah Jazz game drew a 1.5 metered market rating, up 36 percent from last year's Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves telecast. It is the highest-rated Christmas game in the late window since 2015, across networks. The Milwaukee Bucks victory over the New York Knicks at noon generated a 2.2 rating.





  [december 2018]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)




most recent ratings | view all posts
[05/14/26 - 10:07 AM]
"Rooster" Capped Off a Standout First Season, Becoming HBO's Most-Watched Comedy Debut in Over 15 Years
The series is averaging 6.5 million U.S. viewers per episode, with the finale reaching 2.2 million viewers in its first three days.
[05/14/26 - 10:01 AM]
Home Run! ESPN Scores Most-Consumed College Softball Regular Season on Record
The 2026 campaign featured four of ESPN's eight most-watched regular season games of all-time and delivered a record-high 10 games with more than 500,000 viewers.

[05/13/26 - 10:30 AM]
Viewership for 2026 NBA Draft Lottery Presentation on ABC Up 23 Percent Year Over Year
ESPN's presentation of the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery on Sunday, May 10, on ABC averaged 2.3 million viewers.
[05/13/26 - 07:56 AM]
ESPN Networks Delivered Second Most-Watched WNBA Regular-Season Game Ever with Dallas Wings vs Indiana Fever on May 9
ESPN today announced that the Dallas Wings vs. Indiana Fever matchup on May 9 at 1 p.m. ET on ABC averaged 2.5 million viewers, making it the second most-watched WNBA regular-season game across ESPN networks ever.
[05/12/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of May 4 - The Critters of "Swapped" Soar to No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
The pursuit of justice is action-packed in "Man on Fire," which set the English TV list ablaze at No. 1 with 12.6 million views.
[05/08/26 - 09:18 AM]
TNT Sports Delivers Its Most-Watched MLB Regular Season Start Since 2015
The Yankees/Mariners season opener on March 31 delivered 562,000 viewers and peaked at 735,000, making it the most watched opener on TBS since 2012.

[05/06/26 - 10:01 AM]
Strong Month of Sports Propels ESPN Studio Shows to Record Viewership for April
The entire lineup of ESPN studio shows was up 21% overall in viewership over April of 2025 and up 10% year-over-year (YOY) in the coveted Persons ages 18-49 demographic.

[05/05/26 - 03:52 PM]
ESPN Networks Aired Its Most Viewed First Round of the Current Rights Deal of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
ESPN also delivered three of the top five matchups in the First Round including the Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins Game 1 (2.1 million viewers).
[05/05/26 - 03:36 PM]
NBC and Peacock Deliver the Most-Watched First Round Game 7 in NBA History for Saturday Night's 76ers-Celtics
Saturday night's matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 11.0 million viewers on NBC and Peacock.
[05/05/26 - 02:33 PM]
TNT Sports Delivers Its Most Watched NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round Ever
Game 7 of the Montreal/Tampa Bay series on Sunday, May 3 averaged 2.3 million viewers, the most-watched First Round game on cable ever featuring a Canadian team.
[05/05/26 - 02:24 PM]
FOX Saturday Baseball Flexes Double-Digit Season-to-Date Viewership Increase
2,130,000 viewers tuned-in to FOX on Saturday, May 2, for a two-game slate highlighted by the Cardinals' 3-2 Victory over the Dodgers in most of the country.
[05/05/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of April 27 - The Hunt Continues as "Apex" Takes No. 1 for a Second Week
Plus: Revenge might be a dish best served cold, but "Man on Fire" served it up hot, reaching No. 1 on the English TV list with 11 million views.
[05/03/26 - 02:40 PM]
NBC Sports Delivers the Most-Watched Kentucky Derby on Record, Averaging 19.6 Million Viewers on NBC & Peacock in Historic "Run for the Roses"
Viewership peaked at 24.4 million viewers from 7-7:15 p.m. ET, as jockey Jose Ortiz guided Golden Tempo around the final turn to win by a neck over Renegade, and made Cherie DeVaux the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner.

[05/01/26 - 01:33 PM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Jumps Back from Spring Break with Fifth Straight Week of Growth Among Both Total Viewers and Households
Dominating the New York market, "Live with Kelly and Mark" towers over its closest competition this season by double and triple digits in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Women 25-54.
[05/01/26 - 08:05 AM]
NBC Sports' NBA Playoff Viewership on NBC & Peacock Up 58% vs. Comparable Coverage Last Year Through First 13 Games
This is the first time in 24 years that NBC Sports is presenting the NBA Playoffs.