"The Blake Show" blew up big for TNT last night as the network scored its best ever Nielsen marks with its coverage of NBA All-Star Saturday Night.
The event, presented by State Farm and featuring Los Angeles Clippers high-flying rookie sensation Blake Griffin winning the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest,
averaged a 4.4 U.S. national rating, 5.1 million households and 8.1
million viewers, according to Nielsen Fast Nationals data. Those Feb. 19
telecast numbers marked TNT's best-ever during its 26 years covering
the event, topping 2009 by 13% in ratings (3.9 national), 14% in households (4.47 million) and 23% in viewers (6.55 million).
The 2011 NBA All-Star Saturday Night -- which also saw Team Atlanta win the Haier Shooting Stars contest,
Stephen Curry of Golden State Warriors taking the Taco Bell Skills
Challenge, and the Miami Heat's James Jones connecting on the Foot
Locker Three-Point Shootout -- now ranks as the most-watched NBA
telecast on cable during the 2010-11 season to-date, surpassing the Oct.
26, 2010 season-opening game between the Boston Celtics and the Miami
Heat, the first contest featuring the South Beach Three of LeBron James,
Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. That telecast scored a 4.6 U.S. household
rating, 5.34 milion households and 7.43 million viewers.
