Game 5 of the NBA Finals drew superb numbers on Sunday night.
The Lakers’ 103-98 victory over the Celtics drew a 10.1 rating with 17.3 million viewers on ABC, up 11% and 21% from Mavericks/Heat Game 5 two years ago. There was no comparable game of last year’s NBA Finals. Compared to 2004, the last time the Lakers were in the NBA Finals, Celtics/Lakers was down 27% and 21% from the clinching Game 5 of the Lakers/Pistons series.
Game 5 is the most viewed NBA game since Pistons/Spurs Game 7 drew 19 million viewers in 2005, and finishes as the fourth most-viewed NBA game ever on ABC, behind the aforementioned Game 7 in 2005 and Games 3, 4 and 5 in 2004.
Among adults 18-49, the game drew a 7.2 rating, up 22% from a 5.9 for Mavericks/Heat in ’06, but down 23% from a 9.4 for Lakers/Pistons in ’04. No game of last year’s World Series drew as high a rating in the demographic.
In Boston, the game drew a 29.2 rating, the highest of the series. In Los Angeles, Game 5 drew a 27.8 rating, down 7% from a 29.9 for Game 5 in 2004. For the first time in the NBA Finals, the rating in Boston was higher than the rating in Los Angeles.
Game 5 is the third-highest rated and most-viewed sporting event since Super Bowl XLI, behind only the Kansas/Memphis National Championship game and only slightly behind the Daytona 500 — which drew a 10.2 rating with 17.8 million viewers. The game also drew more viewers than three of the four games of last year’s World Series.
Through five games, the Lakers/Celtics NBA Finals is averaging a 9.0 rating with 14.5 million viewers, up 45% and 56% from last year, but down 22% and 19% from an 11.5 with 17.9 million viewers for the five-game Lakers/Pistons series in ’04.
The series is a lock to finish as the second highest rated ever on ABC, but would have to go seven games to approach a double-digit average.
