Though the big-market Los Angeles Lakers are usually assumed to move the needle more than any other team in the NBA, the two largest cable audiences in NBA playoff history have involved teams from the #17 and #19 markets.
Game 5 of the Magic/Cavaliers East Finals drew a 6.2 U.S. rating and 10 million viewers on TNT Thursday night, up 34% in ratings and 47% in viewers from a 4.6 and 6.8 million for last year’s comparable Spurs/Lakers Game 5. While the 10 million viewers is off slightly from the 10.1 million who watched Game 4 on Tuesday night, it still marks the second-most viewers ever for an NBA Playoff game on cable television.
The Cavaliers/Magic series now accounts for the two largest audiences ever for the NBA Playoffs on cable.
Game 5 barely finished as the most viewed program of Thursday night on broadcast or cable, edging a repeat of CSI on CBS (9.99 million for Magic/Cavaliers to 9.98 million for CSI). The game trounced the other ‘sports’ program on Thursday night, beating the National Spelling Bee on ABC by 64% in total viewers. That is a contrast from two years ago, when the Spelling Bee outdrew LeBron James‘ 48-point Game 5 against the Pistons head-to-head.
Entering Saturday’s Game 6, the Magic/Cavaliers series has averaged a 5.4 U.S. rating and 8.7 million viewers on TNT, up 31% and 37% respectively from a 4.2 and 6.3 million for last year’s Lakers/Spurs West Finals, also on TNT. Through five games, Magic/Cavaliers is the highest rated Eastern Conference Finals since 1999.
Additionally, Magic/Cavaliers has outdrawn the first five games of last year’s Red Sox/Rays ALCS on TBS by 39% in ratings (5.4 to 3.9) and 45% in viewers (8.7 mil to 6 mil).
Through 10 games, the 2009 NBA Conference Finals has averaged an 5.4 rating and 8.7 million viewers, up 35% and 44% respectively from a 4.0 and 6.1 million through the same point last year. Compared to ’07, the 5.4 rating is up 80%.
Source: Turner Sports
