Saturday evening’s Nets-Heat game was the most-watched and highest-rated regular season Nets telecast ever on YES (158,000 average TV HHs, 2.15 average TV HH rating), eclipsing YES’ February 29, 2004 Lakers-Nets telecast (139,000 average TV HHs, 1.89 average TV HH rating). Saturday’s YES telecast was also the most-watched and highest-rated regular-season Nets telecast (not featuring the Knicks) on a New York regional sports network in almost 15 years. On January 23, 1998, Fox Sports New York’s Nets-Bulls telecast averaged 186,000 TV HHs and a 2.80 average TV HH rating.

The YES Network has averaged a 1.0 TV HH rating for its Nets telecasts season-to-date, vs. a .39 average TV HH rating for all of its Nets telecasts through the end of January 2012 (22 games, YES’ first full month of Nets games last season, due to the NBA lockout). This is a 156% increase in average TV HH ratings. Comparing the same time periods, YES’ Nets telecasts are also up 200% in Males 25-54 and up 235% in Persons 25-54.