TNT put up some powerhouse numbers with its coverage of the NBA All-Star Weekend, as the annual hoops scrimmage delivered its biggest audience in nearly a decade.
Per Nielsen fast-nationals, Sunday’s East-West game served up 9.09 million viewers, representing a 33 percent improvement from last year’s draw of 6.85 million. The exhibition now ranks as the most watched NBA All-Star Game since 2003 (10.8 million).
The Turner net enjoyed significant gains in the core demos, averaging 5.23 million viewers 18-49 (up 38 percent from the 2010 All-Star Game), 4.31 million adults 25-54 (up 29 percent) and 3.58 million men 18-49 (an increase of 47 percent).
After a six-year interval during which the ratings for the All-Star Game showed sequential ratings declines, the showcase seems to have regained its stride. Deliveries have now increased in two of the last three years (2011 and 2009).
While the NBA All-Star Game doesn’t enjoy the reach of other marquee sports scrimmages––the 2011 NFL Pro Bowl drew 13.4 million viewers on Jan. 30, while last year’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game scored with 12.1 million fans––it is worth noting that both of those contests aired on a broadcast network (Fox). That alone gives the two other games an advantage of some 16 million households.
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