Game 3 of the NBA Finals was a big draw on Tuesday night.
The Lakers’ 87-81 victory over the Celtics drew a 9.2 rating with 14.5 million viewers on ABC Tuesday, up 44% and 53%, respectively, from a 6.4 with 9.5 million viewers for Spurs/Cavaliers Game 3 last year. Compared to 2004, the last time the Lakers were in the Finals, Game 3 was down only 12% in ratings and 11% in total viewers.
The game peaked with an 11.3 rating from 11:30 to 11:45 PM last night. The lowest rated portion of the game was from 9:00 to 9:15 PM, when ABC averaged only a 6.4 rating.
Game 3 was the most watched television program last night, and is easily the most viewed Game 3 in the NBA Finals since 2004. The 14.5 million viewers is just short of the 14.6 million who watched The Belmont Stakes on ABC Saturday evening.
The game drew a solid 6.0/18 in the key adults 18-49 demographic. Through three games, ABC is averaging a 5.6 rating in the demo. To put that in perspective, FOX averaged a 5.1 among adults 18-49 for the first three games of last year’s World Series.
Through three games, ABC is averaging an 8.8 rating with 13.8 million viewers for the NBA Finals, up 44% and 52% from last year, and down 15% and 13% from 2004.
10 highest rated NBA Finals games since 2002.
13.8: Lakers/Pistons Game 5 (Tue., 6/15/04, 9 PM ABC)
12.7: Lakers/Pistons Game 4 (Sun., 6/13/04, 9 PM ABC)
11.9: Pistons/Spurs Game 7 (Thu., 6/23/05, 9 PM ABC)
10.7: Pistons/Lakers Game 2 (Tue., 6/8/04, 9 PM ABC)
10.5: Lakers/Pistons Game 3 (Thu., 6/10/04, 9 PM ABC)
10.1: Heat/Mavericks Game 6 (Tue., 6/20/06, 9 PM ABC)
9.8: Pistons/Lakers Game 1 (Sun., 6/6/04, 9 PM ABC)
9.2: Celtics/Lakers Game 3 (Tue., 6/10/08, 9 PM ABC)
9.0: Mavericks/Heat Game 5 (Sun., 6/18/06, 9 PM ABC)
8.8: Pistons/Spurs Game 6 (Tue., 6/21/05, 9 PM ABC)
