ABC notwithstanding, the 2009 NBA Playoffs have been drawing spectacular numbers.
Game 1 of the Nuggets/Lakers Western Conference Finals drew a 5.0 U.S. rating (5.8 cable) and a whopping 8.1 million viewers on ESPN Tuesday night, up 35% in ratings and 49% in viewership from a 3.7 (4.4 cable) and 5.4 million for last year’s comparable Pistons/Celtics Game 1.
Compared to Game 1 of last year’s West Finals, Nuggets/Lakers was up 22% and 31%, respectively, from a 4.1 and 6.2 million for Spurs/Lakers on TNT.
The 8.1 million viewers makes Nuggets/Lakers Game 1 the most-viewed basketball game (college or pro) ever televised by ESPN, breaking the previous record of 7.4 million for Lakers/Rockets Game 6 less than a week ago. Despite the lofty numbers, Game 1 was not even the most viewed NBA game of the past week — Magic/Celtics Game 7 drew 8.4 million viewers on TNT Sunday night.
Through last night, the three most viewed telecasts of the year on ESPN were all NBA games — Nuggets/Lakers Game 1 (8.1 mil), Lakers/Rockets Game 6 (7.4 mil) and Lakers/Rockets Game 3 (6.0 mil).
Game 1 drew a 16.1 in Denver, the highest rating ever for an NBA game on ESPN/ABC in the market, and a 13.2 in Los Angeles.
