TNT's Coverage of the 2012 NBA Playoffs Begins April 28
TNT on Pace for Highest-Rated & Most-Viewed NBA Regular Season;
More Than 40 NBA Playoff Games on TNT Including Western Conference Finals
On pace to deliver a record-setting 2011-12 NBA regular season - the highest-rated and most-viewed in its 28-year history with the league - TNT will televise more than 40 NBA Playoff games beginning Saturday, April 28. TNT, the home of the Western Conference Finals this season, will open its postseason schedule with the Chicago Bulls and Derrick Rose hosting the Philadelphia 76ers and Andre Iguodala at 1 p.m. ET. Recently, Turner Sports was nominated for four Sports Emmy(R) Awards for its coverage of the 2011 NBA Playoffs.
Through 43 telecasts, the NBA on TNT has averaged a 1.7 U.S. HH rating, 2,566,000 viewers and 1,955,000 household impressions. The top six NBA regular-season games on cable this season have all aired on TNT and the network has televised two of the top five most-watched NBA regular-season games in cable television history this season.
The NBA on TNT is up nine percent among household impressions (vs. 1,797,000); seven percent among viewers (vs. 2,397,000); and six percent in U.S. HH rating (vs. 1.6) when compared with last season. TNT is expected to post its fifth straight year of growth among viewers and households. There has also been considerable growth among all core demos:
· A18-34 +17% (899,000 vs. 771,000)
· A18-49 +9% (1,440,000 vs. 1,325,000)
· A25-54 +4% (1,234,000 vs. 1,188,000)
· M18-34 +19% (651,000 vs. 545,000)
· M18-49 +9% (1,032,000 vs. 946,000)
· M25-54 +3% (866,000 vs. 839,000)
TNT's coverage of the NBA Playoffs will feature the four-time Sports Emmy(R) Award-winning studio show hosted by Ernie Johnson with analysts Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal (in his first year with the network) and Kenny Smith.
Commentator teams for TNT's first round coverage include Marv Albert/Steve Kerr; Kevin Harlan/Reggie Miller; Dick Stockton/Chris Webber; and Matt Devlin/Mike Fratello.
TNT's coverage of the NBA Playoffs will also include sideline reporters Craig Sager, David Aldridge, Cheryl Miller, Marty Snider, Tracy Wolfson, Jaime Maggio, Lewis Johnson and Stephanie Ready.
Additionally, TNT OverTime on NBA.com will provide multi-camera angle coverage including an "Action Cam" and a "Backboard Cam" for up to 21 games through the Western Conference Finals. Users also will have the ability to vote for which player they would like the "Home Player Cam" and "Away Player Cam" to follow per quarter. Fans can watch each camera individually, with picture-in-picture or in the Mosaic View. Viewers also can participate in "Ask The Expert" Cover It Live chats where they can ask NBA insiders questions during the playoff games.
2012 NBA PLAYOFFS ON TNT (All Times ET)
TIME/DATE GAME
Saturday, April 28
1 p.m. NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com
Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Shaquille O'Neal (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)
Philadelphia at Chicago (Game 1)
Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Cheryl Miller (reporter)
Sunday, April 29
6:30 p.m. NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com
Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Shaquille O'Neal (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)
7 p.m. Boston at Atlanta (Game 1)
Marv Albert (play-by-play), Steve Kerr (analyst) and Tracy Wolfson (reporter)
9:30 p.m. L.A. Clippers at Memphis (Game 1)
Dick Stockton (play-by-play), Chris Webber (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter)
Post-game Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Johnson (host), Barkley (analyst), O'Neal (analyst) and Smith (analyst)
Monday, April 30
7 p.m. NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com
Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Shaquille O'Neal (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)
New York at Miami (Game 2)
Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Reggie Miller (analyst) and David Aldridge (reporter)
9:30 p.m. Dallas at Oklahoma City (Game 2)
Matt Devlin (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst) and Marty Snider (reporter)
Post-game Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Johnson (host), Barkley (analyst), O'Neal (analyst) and Smith (analyst)
Tuesday, May 1
8 p.m. NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com
Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Shaquille O'Neal (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)
Philadelphia at Chicago (Game 2)
Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Cheryl Miller (reporter)
9:30 p.m. Denver at L.A. Lakers (Game 2)
Marv Albert (play-by-play), Steve Kerr (analyst) and Jaime Maggio (reporter)
Post-game Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Johnson (host), Barkley (analyst), O'Neal (analyst) and Smith (analyst)
Wednesday, May 2
7 p.m. NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com
Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Shaquille O'Neal (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)
Utah at San Antonio (Game 2)
Matt Devlin (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst) and Lewis Johnson (reporter)
9:30 p.m. L.A. Clippers at Memphis (Game 2)
Dick Stockton (play-by-play), Chris Webber (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter)
Post-game Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Johnson (host), Barkley (analyst), O'Neal (analyst) and Smith (analyst)
Thursday, May 3
7 p.m. NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com
Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Shaquille O'Neal (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)
Miami at New York (Game 3)
Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Reggie Miller (analyst) and David Aldridge (reporter)
9:30 p.m. Oklahoma City at Dallas (Game 3)
Marv Albert (play-by-play), Steve Kerr (analyst) and Marty Snider (reporter)
Post-game Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Johnson (host), Barkley (analyst), O'Neal (analyst) and Smith (analyst)
Saturday, May 5
7 p.m. NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com
Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Shaquille O'Neal (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)
7:30 p.m. Oklahoma City at Dallas (Game 4)
Dick Stockton (play-by-play), Chris Webber (analyst) and Marty Snider (reporter)
10 p.m. San Antonio at Utah (Game 3)
Matt Devlin (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst) and Lewis Johnson (reporter)
Post-game Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Johnson (host), Barkley (analyst), O'Neal (analyst) and Smith (analyst)
Sunday, May 6
6:30 p.m. NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com
Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Shaquille O'Neal (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)
7 p.m. Atlanta at Boston (Game 4)
Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Tracy Wolfson (reporter)
9:30 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Denver (Game 4)
Marv Albert (play-by-play), Steve Kerr (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter)
Midnight Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Johnson (host), Barkley (analyst), O'Neal (analyst) and Smith (analyst)
Turner Sports, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is an industry leader in televised and online sports programming, airing championship-level sporting events on TBS, TNT and truTV, and managing some of the most popular sports sites on the Internet. Turner Sports' television lineup includes the NBA, Major League Baseball, the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, NASCAR and professional golf. The company's digital portfolio includes NASCAR.COM, NCAA.com, PGATOUR.COM, GOLF.com and PGA.com, as well as an accompanying collection of mobile websites and connected device apps. Turner Sports and the NBA also jointly manage NBA Digital, which includes NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS, NBA Mobile, the NBA Game Time App, NBADLEAGUE.com and WNBA.com.
TNT, one of cable's top-rated networks, is television's destination for drama. Seen in 99 million households, the network is home to such original series as The Closer, starring Emmy(R) winner Kyra Sedgwick; Rizzoli & Isles, starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander; Falling Skies, starring Noah Wyle; Franklin & Bash, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer; Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton; and Southland, from Emmy-winning producer John Wells, as well as the upcoming series Major Crimes, Dallas, Perception and The Great Escape. TNT also is the cable home to powerful dramas like The Mentalist, Bones, Supernatural, Las Vegas, Law & Order, CSI: NY, Cold Case and, starting this year, Castle; primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards(R); blockbuster movies; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR, the NBA and the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship. TNT is available in high-definition.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world. Turner brands and businesses include CNN/U.S., CNN International, CNN.com and HLN; TBS, TNT, truTV and Turner Classic Movies; Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Adult Swim; and Turner Sports.
Source: Nielsen Media Research. Based on Live+SD. NBA Regular Season on TNT STD; 43 games vs.52 games of Final 2011-12 season. (12/25/2011-4/24/2012) vs. (10/26/2010-4/12/2011). Historical comparisons and complete NBA Regular Season averages on Cable only for seasons: 1984-2011.
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