http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2013/may/abc-s-nba-playoff-ratings-are-in-the-tank.html

ABC is really hurting without the benefit of the Miami Heat on their airwaves. This past weekend, ratings for the Spurs-Warriors and Knicks-Pacers games suffered sharp declines (http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2013/05/nba-playoffs-without-marquee-draws-abc-has-another-weekend-of-declines/). Sunday's San Antonio-Golden State matchup drew a 3.4 rating and 5.3 million viewers, down 29% in ratings and 30% in viewers from last year's Heat-Pacers game and 36% and 40% from 2011's Lakers-Mavericks matchup. The Knicks and Pacers didn't fare any better on Saturday evening, drawing similar marks of a 3.5 rating and 5.3 million viewers, down 29% and 35% from Heat-Celtcs in 2011 (with no comparable game last year).

The Knicks-Pacers game on Saturday was the lowest rated and least viewed primetime ABC playoff game since Cavaliers-Hawks in 2009 (which drew a 3.2 rating and 5.0 million viewers). Five of the seven ABC NBA playoff games from this year have been down in both ratings and viewership to games last year in a comparable window.

Here's the bad news for ABC: it's not going to be getting any better this weekend. The network's lone game this weekend comes on Sunday afternoon, and pits the Grizzlies against the Spurs in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Since ABC began airing the NBA Finals in 2003, their three lowest-rated series all involved the Spurs. In fact, the two lowest-rated NBA Finals of all time have come in the last decade and involved the Spurs: 2003 vs the Nets (6.5 rating) and 2009 vs the Cavaliers (6.2 rating, the lowest of all-time). With TNT owning exclusive rights to the Eastern Conference Finals, another Heat-less round for ABC and ESPN will lead to vicious drops from last year's record-setting Heat-Celtics Eastern Conference Finals. Will the 5.0 rating and 7.8 million viewers that TNT drew for the Western Conference Finals last year between the Thunder and Spurs be a more realistic expectation, or is that even too high? It'll be interesting to see what happens, but ABC cannot be happy.

And if the Heat get upset in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Knicks or Pacers? We could be scraping the bottom of the barrel for NBA TV ratings once again.

I'm not surprised about this. Memphis sucks and i won't be watching them. I don't like their offense. That's why i was upset Oklahoma lost to them because i thought Oklahoma and the Spurs would be a better series. If the Pacers beat the Knicks, that will suck for the tv ratings because people would rather see Lebron and Dwayne Wade against Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks. I just hope Miami and the Spurs are in the finals because i think the tv ratings would be good but if Memphis wins, the tv ratings will be low because nobody wants to see Memphis against Miami LOL. I know i don't wanna see it. The playoffs have been kinda boring this year because some of these teams can't score because all they do is shoot jumpshots like the Knicks and Pacers. Knicks and Pacers game 3 was awful. The halftime score was in the 30's LOL.

I STILL won't watch the NBA Finals because it'll be the Heat winning it all...can I get a yawn?

Because TNT is the best when it comes to NBA Coverage

Because TNT is the best when it comes to NBA Coveragei agree i never really have liked abc/espn

Amen to that

TNT will ALWAYS be BETTER than abc/ESPN which is owned by Disney

and also, NBC is BETTER than abc/EPSN when it comes to the NBA

and I think that I might do a topic on a salute to the NBA on NBC sometime this year

Yeah i think TNT is the best because Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith are very good talking about basketball and they tell the truth. Charles doesn't care if he hurts players feelings LOL. I was glad Shaq joined them. I kinda miss Chris Webber not being on there.