The NBA season has opened with four straight declines. Also: the Pacers hit a 13-year opening night high; the NHL had a slow week on NBCSN; NASCAR’s Truck Series declined at Talladega.

Wednesday’s Pelicans-Rockets NBA regular season game scored a 1.0 rating and 1.56 million viewers on ESPN, down 17% in ratings and viewership from last year (Sixers-Wizards: 1.2, 1.87M) and flat and down 1% respectively from 2016, when coverage aired opposite the World Series (Thunder-Sixers: 1.0 1.58M).

The Pelcians’ blowout win was ESPN’s least-watched NBA season opener since 2009, when New Orleans faced San Antonio (1.2M).

Later in the night, Mavericks-Suns drew a 0.8 and 1.21 million — down 38% in ratings and 42% in viewership from last year (Spurs-Timberwolves: 1.3, 2.07M) and down 38% and 40% respectively from 2016 (Rockets-Lakers: 1.3, 2.00M).

Neither of ESPN’s games Wednesday night could match the Warriors-Lakers preseason game on the network one week earlier (1.3, 1.98M). Ratings and viewership have now declined for the first four games on national television this season.