Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Tues., April 28) -- down go the Mavs while TNT plays winning hand over TXA21
04/29/15 10:41 AM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
The Dallas Mavericks drew their biggest playoff audience Tuesday night while at the same time drawing their last gasp against the Houston Rockets.
The Rockets’ 103-94 home floor win, airing from 7:11 to 9:51 p.m., ended the first round playoff series in five games.
TNT’s national presentation averaged 209,220 D-FW viewers and 116,691 in the advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-old demographic. The homegrown telecast on TXA21 had 146,454 total viewers and 100,922 in the 18-to-49 age range.
Both outlets easily drew more than 50 percent of their audience from the 18-to-49 realm. That’s good news for pro basketball and the Mavericks. In contrast, the Dallas Cowboys dwarf all D-FW sports teams in both the total viewer and 18-to-49 measurement. But the Cowboys seldom draw more than half their viewership from the 18-to-49 demographic.
Cable networks, whether TNT or ESPN, had more Mavericks playoff series viewers in four of the five games, with TXA21 finishing on top for the team’s lone win in Game 4.
Mavs play-by-play announcer Mark Followill has contended in the past that many “casual” basketball fans are unaware that TXA21 is airing the first round games, as the station also did last season. I don’t buy that. But I do think Followill had a very strong announcing game Tuesday night while TNT had the lure of both Marv Albert and the always eventful halftime show with Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaq and Kenny Smith. Halftimes are included in the game averages. Then again, TXA21 outdrew TNT for Sunday night’s Game 4 while trailing ESPN for Games 1 and 3. TNT had more viewers than TXA21 for Game 2. OK, enough.
In non-Mavericks prime-time results, NBC’s The Voice and CBS’ NCIS had a rousing slugfest from 7 to 8 p.m. in the total viewers measurement. The Voice barely prevailed by a score 397,518 viewers to 369,622 while as usual winning decisively among 18-to-49-year-olds.
ABC’s Dancing with the Stars 10th anniversary special came up third in total viewers at 7 p.m. with 202,246 but fell to fourth with 18-to-49-year-olds behind The Voice, NCIS and Fox’s Hell’s Kitchen.
Here are Tuesday’s local news derby results for the fourth weekday of the May ratings “sweeps.”
Gannett8 swept the 10 p.m. competitions in both total viewers and 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).
Fox4 as usual ran the table at 6 a.m. while Gannett8 found itself at the opposite end of the ratings teeter totter with a pair of fourth place finishes.
NBC5 entered the winner’s circle with twin wins at 5 p.m. CBS11 chimed in with the most total viewers at 6 p.m., but Fox4 narrowly ran first with 25-to-54-year-olds.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
The Dallas Mavericks drew their biggest playoff audience Tuesday night while at the same time drawing their last gasp against the Houston Rockets.
The Rockets’ 103-94 home floor win, airing from 7:11 to 9:51 p.m., ended the first round playoff series in five games.
TNT’s national presentation averaged 209,220 D-FW viewers and 116,691 in the advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-old demographic. The homegrown telecast on TXA21 had 146,454 total viewers and 100,922 in the 18-to-49 age range.
Both outlets easily drew more than 50 percent of their audience from the 18-to-49 realm. That’s good news for pro basketball and the Mavericks. In contrast, the Dallas Cowboys dwarf all D-FW sports teams in both the total viewer and 18-to-49 measurement. But the Cowboys seldom draw more than half their viewership from the 18-to-49 demographic.
Cable networks, whether TNT or ESPN, had more Mavericks playoff series viewers in four of the five games, with TXA21 finishing on top for the team’s lone win in Game 4.
Mavs play-by-play announcer Mark Followill has contended in the past that many “casual” basketball fans are unaware that TXA21 is airing the first round games, as the station also did last season. I don’t buy that. But I do think Followill had a very strong announcing game Tuesday night while TNT had the lure of both Marv Albert and the always eventful halftime show with Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaq and Kenny Smith. Halftimes are included in the game averages. Then again, TXA21 outdrew TNT for Sunday night’s Game 4 while trailing ESPN for Games 1 and 3. TNT had more viewers than TXA21 for Game 2. OK, enough.
In non-Mavericks prime-time results, NBC’s The Voice and CBS’ NCIS had a rousing slugfest from 7 to 8 p.m. in the total viewers measurement. The Voice barely prevailed by a score 397,518 viewers to 369,622 while as usual winning decisively among 18-to-49-year-olds.
ABC’s Dancing with the Stars 10th anniversary special came up third in total viewers at 7 p.m. with 202,246 but fell to fourth with 18-to-49-year-olds behind The Voice, NCIS and Fox’s Hell’s Kitchen.
Here are Tuesday’s local news derby results for the fourth weekday of the May ratings “sweeps.”
Gannett8 swept the 10 p.m. competitions in both total viewers and 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).
Fox4 as usual ran the table at 6 a.m. while Gannett8 found itself at the opposite end of the ratings teeter totter with a pair of fourth place finishes.
NBC5 entered the winner’s circle with twin wins at 5 p.m. CBS11 chimed in with the most total viewers at 6 p.m., but Fox4 narrowly ran first with 25-to-54-year-olds.
Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net