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NBC Sports Early NBA Playoff Viewership Delivering Big Numbers

BSM Staff
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NBC Sports Early NBA Playoff Viewership Delivering Big Numbers

NBC Sports’ first six playoff games averaged 4.9 million viewers from April 19–21. That figure marks a 38% jump over comparable coverage from last year.

It’s also the best performance for the first Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday playoff nights since 1994.

Sunday set the tone immediately. Trail Blazers-Spurs Game 1 drew 5.7 million viewers, the most-watched game of the 2026 playoffs so far. Magic-Pistons Game 1 averaged 5.0 million and peaked at 6.7 million. NBC won Sunday night in all key demos.

Monday kept the momentum rolling. Hawks-Knicks Game 2 averaged 4.7 million viewers, up 43% year-over-year. Timberwolves-Nuggets Game 2 followed with 4.4 million — the best late primetime First Round Game 2 since 2012.

Monday’s combined average of 4.6 million topped last year’s Day 3 numbers by 35%.

Tuesday delivered more milestones. Trail Blazers-Spurs Game 2 peaked at 6.7 million, tying Sunday’s Magic-Pistons for the best peak of the playoffs. Rockets-Lakers Game 2 averaged 5.2 million — the most-watched First Round Game 2 since 2011.

Tuesday’s two-game average of 4.9 million ranks as the best First Round Game 2 day since 1998.

Through four games, NBC and Peacock combined to average 5.0 million viewers. That’s the strongest opening Sunday-Monday performance since 1995.

A star-powered postseason featuring LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokić, Anthony Edwards, Victor Wembanyama, and Jalen Brunson clearly drove casual viewers back to the broadcast. NBC’s 24-year absence from the NBA made this a genuine television event — and the audience responded accordingly.

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Stu Burguiere on ‘Predictible’ Debut: Media Still Trying to Figure Out How to Handle Prediction Markets

BNM Staff
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Stu Burguiere on ‘Predictible’ Debut: Media Still Trying to Figure Out How to Handle Prediction Markets

After departing The Glenn Beck Program earlier this year, Stu Burguiere has officially released the first episode of his Predictible show.

On the debut episode, which is focused on prediction markets, Burguiere noted that many media outlets are still constructing how they’re covering the expanding space.

“The media is kind of now trying to figure out what prediction markets are and how they’re going to handle them,” he shared. “It’s interesting to watch. You’ll see all these reports that are almost grandmotherly. They’re scolding you for all the people that go on prediction markets and do things that are bad. That’s important to talk about.”

Stu Burguiere added that recent negative stories about prediction markets play into why he believes a program dedicated to the space matters.

“It is important to understand exactly why those things happen,” said Burguiere. “It’s funny to watch them. At the same time, they’re scolding you or scolding the world about the casinoization of America. Half of these networks are taking money from these prediction markets because they’re sponsoring stuff. There is real value there. If you don’t know anything about prediction markets, that’s totally fine. You’re still going to get something out of this program.”

Stu Burguiere worked on The Glenn Beck Program for 28 years. He departed the show to focus specifically on the Predictible show. He is still working as a member of Beck’s Blaze Media organization, however.

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SNY Mets Broadcaster Keith Hernandez Expects To Return May 4

BSM Staff
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SNY Mets Broadcaster Keith Hernandez Expects To Return May 4

Keith Hernandez is coming back. SNY confirmed the beloved Mets analyst will return to the broadcast booth on May 4 in Colorado.

The Mets open a series against the Rockies that day. It marks Hernandez’s first appearance since undergoing back surgery on April 14.

The procedure was no minor fix. According to the New York Post, Hernandez endured a four-hour operation at the Hospital for Special Surgery. Doctors repaired a bulging disc that had been causing severe nerve damage.

The 72-year-old didn’t sugarcoat his condition.

“It was causing me all my grief, my pain, which was on the right side of my body,” Hernandez told Sports+. “Literally, my right quadricep was like a light switch turned off, I had no strength.”

The nerve damage was debilitating. “The nerve had just shut down the quad,” he said. “I couldn’t walk up a step with the right quad.” He admitted falling twice before the surgery.

Hernandez had already missed five games earlier this season due to back issues. He returned briefly, then the pain forced him into the operating room. He’s currently in year one of a new three-year deal with SNY. The contract reduced his workload from roughly 110 games to about 95.

Mets fans have noticed his absence. Hernandez remains one of the most distinctive and candid voices in regional sports television.

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Rebecca Kutler: MS NOW Must Create Digital Home for Its Non-Cable Fans

BNM Staff
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Rebecca Kutler: MS NOW Must Create Digital Home for Its Non-Cable Fans

MS NOW is thinking beyond its cable news channel. The network is developing a direct-to-consumer product aimed at two distinct audiences — and President Rebecca Kutler says the strategy reflects years of watching viewer habits shift in real time.

Kutler laid out the vision during an appearance at Axios Live, speaking with Axios media reporter Sara Fischer. The conversation centered on how MS NOW is approaching its next chapter in a fragmented media landscape.

“My thinking has evolved, frankly, over the years, as audience habits have evolved,” said Kutler. “So when we think about our upcoming DTC products, we think about really two groups of fans. We have our current group of what we call our super fans. MS NOW has several million people who are engaging with us nine hours a week. That’s a very high number for linear television. Those are our super fans, and we want to over-deliver for them with this product. We want to give them more engagement and more community.”

But the DTC push isn’t just about rewarding loyal viewers. Kutler made clear the network is equally focused on reaching an entirely different group — one that may never find MS NOW through a cable subscription.

“We have many million more fans that I like to call our future fans,” Kutler said. “They are currently consuming our content in spaces that are not linear television. I’ll just give you one little factoid on YouTube: NBC News, CBS News, and ABC News combined have fewer views than MS NOW. So we’ve built a very, very large audience on a platform like YouTube. We’ve also built a large audience on TikTok.”

The challenge, as Kutler sees it, is converting that digital reach into something more permanent — a destination MS NOW controls.

“We need a place in the digital space to take that audience,” the MS NOW President shared, “because we need to be honest — that audience is not necessarily going to find us on traditional cable, but we should build something that brings them into our community.”

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CNN Airing Comedy Special from Matt Friend

BNM Staff
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CNN Airing Comedy Special from Matt Friend

CNN is set to air a political satire and late-night comedy special hosted by comedian Matt Friend.

America Laughs with Matt Friend will air at 11 PM ET on Friday evening. The CNN-produced special was filmed in Washington, D.C. The hour-long special will feature a monologue from Friend, in addition to appearances from special guests.

“Comedy and politics have always had a unique connection, and I’m excited to bring that bipartisan energy to Washington with CNN for this special,” said Friend. “We are in an increasingly divided country and world. For my show with CNN, I aim to poke fun at everyone and allow room for all to laugh in a Johnny Carson spirit.

“For decades, from Sid Caesar and Carson to Norm Macdonald and Bill Maher, comedians have helped us reflect on public life in America,” Friend added. “As Aristophanes said, ‘Comedy is allied to justice.’ This is going to be a truly fun, unpredictable night of impressions, satire, and surprises, and I can’t wait for people to see it.”

Friend is no stranger to cable news viewers. He’s made appearances on a variety of Fox News programs. He is widely known for his impressions of political figures and entertainers. He’s also appeared on The Story Is with Elex Michaelson in recent months.

The comedy special comes in advance of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

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Beasley Media Group Signs Broadcast Agreement With Tampa Bay Rowdies

BSM Staff
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Beasley Media Group Signs Broadcast Agreement With Tampa Bay Rowdies

The Tampa Bay Rowdies are taking their radio game up a notch. The club announced a new partnership with Beasley Media Group, making Florida Alumni Radio 1100AM the official radio home for all Rowdies matches in 2026.

Beasley launched Florida Alumni Radio in August 2024. The sports-focused station targets Florida fans with an emphasis on alumni pride and local connection.

It already carries football and basketball for both USF and Florida State University. The Rowdies are the newest addition to that roster.

Broadcasts will also stream across 92.1 FM and 103.1 FM in South Florida, expanding the club’s reach beyond Tampa Bay.

This deal marks a genuine milestone. For the first time in club history, every home and away match lands on both local television and radio. Tampa Bay 44 has served as the Rowdies’ exclusive local TV partner since 2024.

The radio crew mirrors the television broadcast team. Play-by-play voice Drew Fellios leads the call. Legendary Rowdies goalkeeper Jeff Attinella handles color commentary. Diandra Loux works the sideline.

Attinella also hosts the Tampa Bay Rowdies Podcast, recorded weekly at Beasley’s St. Petersburg studio. The show delivers exclusive interviews with players and coaches. Fans can find it on Beasley’s Podcast Network, Spotify, iHeart, and the official Rowdies YouTube channel.

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Gregg Bonham Elevated to PD at 95.9 The Hog in Tennessee

BMM Staff
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Gregg Bonham Elevated to PD at 95.9 The Hog in Tennessee

Holston Valley Broadcasting Corporation has promoted Gregg Bonham to Program Director at Rock WRZK, 95.9 The Hog, in Tennessee’s Tri-Cities market.

Bonham joined WRZK in April 2025 as APD and afternoon drive host. He steps into the PD chair after one year in that role. During his tenure as APD, Bonham made notable contributions across several key areas.

He will continue hosting afternoon drive alongside his new programming duties.

President and General Manager Kim Mitchell expressed confidence in the move. “Gregg has been an integral part of our team over the past year, and we’re excited for him to be stepping into this role,” Mitchell said.

Bonham’s elevation reflects HVB’s commitment to developing talent from within. His predecessor, Scott Highland, shifts focus to lead programming for HVB’s ESPN Tri-Cities.

“His passion for the brand, strong understanding of our audience, and commitment to community engagement make him the right leader to continue building WRZK’s momentum,” noted Mitchell.

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Wheatstone’s VMX Platform Earns 2026 NAB Show Product of the Year Award

BSM Staff
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Wheatstone’s VMX Platform Earns 2026 NAB Show Product of the Year Award

Wheatstone took home a big win at the 2026 NAB Show this week. The company’s VMX Mix Engine Platform earned a Product of the Year award at a ceremony held April 22 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The NAB Product of the Year awards are judged by a panel of industry peers.

VMX earned recognition in the audio production, processing and networking category.

Wheatstone built the product as a centralized mix engine platform. It supports multiple studios from a single system, consolidating mix engine functions and dynamically allocating shared resources across a network. That’s a meaningful efficiency gain for broadcasters managing distributed operations.

The platform also debuts a line of virtual broadcast consoles. Users access them through a web browser via HTML5. That means engineers can mix audio from laptops, tablets or desktop computers — no dedicated hardware surfaces required.

For broadcasters watching budgets and building flexible workflows, that’s a compelling pitch.

VMX made its debut at NAB 2026 alongside the award announcement.

It’s a notable recognition for a company that has long been a fixture in broadcast audio. The award signals that the industry is paying attention to where infrastructure is heading — scalable, software-driven and increasingly untethered from the equipment rack.

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This Week with George Stephanopoulos Earns Top Spot in Sunday Ratings for 12 Straight Weeks

BNM Staff
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This Week with George Stephanopoulos Earns Top Spot in Sunday Ratings for 12 Straight Weeks

ABC News has been on a roll as This Week with George Stephanopoulos has taken the top spot in the Sunday political affairs show ratings. That show has held the spot now for three straight months.

The Sunday, April 19th edition of This Week earned the top spot in the total viewer category for the 12th consecutive week. The George Stephanopoulos-led show averaged 2.7 million total viewers. It topped CBS News’ Face the Nation, which earned 2.5 million viewers for the week.

NBC News’ Meet the Press, helmed by Kristen Welker, averaged 2.3 million viewers on the day. Fox News Sunday earned 944,000 total viewers.

In the Adults 25-54 demographic, however, Meet the Press held the top spot. It featured an average audience of 434,000 viewers from that sector. This Week with George Stephanopoulos saw 349,000 viewers from the category.

Face the Nation — anchored by Margaret Brennan — wasn’t far behind. It saw 329,000 viewers in the Adults 25-54 demographic. Fox News Sunday saw 152,000 total viewers from that sector.

The win in the total viewer category for This Week marked the ABC News program’s longest run in the top spot since a June-to-early-September run in 2023.

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MSG Networks Forms Broadcast Partnership With Team Boxing League

BSM Staff
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MSG Networks Forms Broadcast Partnership With Team Boxing League

The Team Boxing League (TBL) announced a new broadcast agreement with MSG Networks, bringing all remaining Season 4 fights to fans live across MSG’s platforms.

The deal kicks off immediately as the NYC Attitude takes on the Boston Butchers live from Boston at 7PM EST. It’s a strong opening card for a new media partnership.

TBL fights will air across MSG, MSGSN, MSG+ in the Gotham Sports App, and MSG Sportzone (FAST). The league gains immediate reach into millions of passionate sports households.

MSG Networks will also provide promotional support throughout the season. That added visibility could be a real differentiator for a league still building its audience.

TBL CEO Kevin Cassidy called the deal a meaningful step forward.

“TBL is built to bring a fresh, high-energy approach to boxing. This partnership with MSG Networks is a major step forward in delivering that experience to a broader audience,” says Cassidy. “We’re excited to showcase our athletes and teams on such an established and respected sports media platform.”

MSG Networks VP of Content Distribution Armando Polanco welcomed the league. “We welcome TBL Team Boxing League to the MSG Networks family,” Polanco said. “With our expansive distribution, we’re excited to bring the energy of boxing to our audiences.”

TBL’s team-based format aims to reshape how boxing is consumed. The MSG deal gives the league a serious platform to prove that concept works.

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