TNT, ESPN/ABC Draw Record NBA Ratings

Big audiences also mean record revenue for league's TV partners

The New York Knicks may have come up short in their attempt to win their first playoff game in 10 years, but for NBA rights holder TNT, Sunday night’s 87-85 nail biter was an unequivocal victory.

According to Nielsen, 5.99 million fans watched the first game of the New York-Boston series, giving TNT a 53 percent lift from the comparable NBA playoff game a year ago. All told, the April 17 triple-header marked the most-watched post-season opener in Turner’s 27 years as a league partner, drawing an average 4.54

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