Weekly Cable Ratings: TNT, ESPN Shoot To Top of Primetime Ratings Chart

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NBA, NHL Playoffs drive networks to finish in the top two spots in primetime

Lakers vs. Grizzlies in NBA playoffs
The April 24 NBA playoff matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies drove viewers to TNT (Image credit: Getty Images)

The first round of the NBA and NHL playoffs proved to be ratings gold for TNT and ESPN as both networks finished at the top of the cable primetime ratings chart last week.

TNT averaged 3.2 million primetime viewers during the week of April 24 to April 30 to top the chart for the second straight week, according to Nielsen. ESPN averaged 2.3 million viewers to finish second for the week with 2.3 million watchers. 

Fox News Channel finished third with 1.4 million viewers in the first week following the loss of its primetime news show Tucker Carlson Tonight after Carlson's departure from the network. MSNBC finished fourth with 1.2 million viewers.

History was fifth with 798,000 viewers, followed by HGTV (773,000), INSP (740,000), TBS (715,000), Hallmark Channel (656,000), and CNN (622,000).

Fox News won for the 16th straight week on the total day chart with an average of 1 million viewers, followed by TNT (883,000 viewers), ESPN (822,000), MSNBC (784,000), and CNN (451,000), Nielsen reported. 

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.