After Game 3 tied a three-year low, ratings bounced back for Game 4 of the Magic/Celtics Eastern Conference Finals.
Orlando’s win over Boston drew a 4.9 U.S. rating and 8.0 million viewers on ESPN, down 16% in ratings and 18% in viewership from Lakers/Nuggets Game 4 last year (5.8, 9.7 mil), but up 23% and 31%, respectively, from Celtics/Pistons Game 4 in ’08 (4.0, 6.1 mil).
Monday’s game, which went to overtime, was also up from Saturday’s blowout Game 3 (3.7, 6.0 mil).
So far, every Conference Final game on cable has had a decline in ratings and viewership compared to last year, with the lone exception of Suns/Lakers Game 1 (there was no game on the comparable night last year).
Dating back to April 29, 17 of the last 26 NBA Playoff games on cable have had declines in ratings compared to last year — with 14 of those games having double-digit declines.
Despite the declines, the numbers for the Conference Finals are still well above previous years, when sub-4.0 ratings were commonplace. Only five of 60 Conference Final games on cable from 2003-08 managed to draw at least a 4.9 rating.
Additionally, the games have been competitive with primetime programs on broadcast in the key adults 18-49 demographic. Game 4 drew a 3.4 rating in the demo, topping several shows — including the series finale of 24 on FOX (2.8).
On Sunday, Lakers/Suns Game 3 on TNT (3.6) outdrew every single primetime television program on broadcast that night, with the lone exception of the series finale of Lost (5.8) and the two-hour retrospective about the show (4.1).
