Ratings for the NBA Conference Finals remain below last year’s impressive levels.
Tuesday’s Lakers/Suns Game 4 drew a 4.9 U.S. rating and 7.6 million viewers on TNT, down 22% in ratings and 24% in viewership from Cavaliers/Magic Game 4 last year (6.3, 10.1 mil), but up 2% and 5%, respectively, from Lakers/Spurs Game 4 in ’08 (4.8, 7.2 mil).
Last year’s Cavaliers/Magic game was — and still is — the most-viewed NBA Playoff game ever on cable television.
Every game of the Conference Finals has had a decline in ratings and viewership versus last year, with the exception of Celtics/Magic Game 1 on ABC (even in ratings) and Suns/Lakers Game 1 on TNT (no game on the comparable night last year).
Three games have had double-digit declines, including Tuesday’s game.
Despite the lower numbers, this year has produced some of the highest ratings for the Conference Finals on cable television in the past decade.
The last three games — Lakers/Suns Games 3 and 4 and Magic/Celtics Game 4 — rank among the 15 highest rated Conference Final telecasts on cable since ’99 (87 games overall).
15 Highest Rated Conference Final Games on Cable Since 1999
| # | Date | Game | # | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tue., 5/26/09 | Cavaliers/Magic | 4 | TNT |
6.3
|
10,075
|
| T2 | Thu., 5/28/09 | Magic/Cavaliers | 5 | TNT |
6.2
|
9,995
|
| T2 | Mon., 6/6/05 | Pistons/Heat | 7 | TNT |
6.2
|
9,149
|
| 4 | Mon., 5/31/04 | T’Wolves/Lakers | 6 | TNT |
6.0
|
9,438
|
| 5 | Mon., 5/25/09 | Lakers/Nuggets | 4 | ESPN |
5.8
|
9,731
|
| 6 | Wed., 5/27/09 | Nuggets/Lakers | 5 | ESPN |
5.6
|
9,238
|
| 7 | Tue., 5/25/04 | T’Wolves/Lakers | 3 | TNT |
5.5
|
8,090
|
| 8 | Sun., 5/24/09 | Cavaliers/Magic | 3 | TNT |
5.4
|
8,969
|
| T9 | Sat., 5/30/09 | Cavaliers/Magic | 6 | TNT |
5.2
|
8,362
|
| T9 | Sun., 5/23/04 | Lakers/T’Wolves | 2 | TNT |
5.2
|
8,163
|
| T9 | Thu., 5/27/04 | T’Wolves/Lakers |
4
|
TNT |
5.2
|
7,515
|
| 12 | Fri., 5/29/09 | Lakers/Nuggets |
6
|
ESPN |
5.1
|
8,462
|
| T13 | Sun., 5/23/10 | Lakers/Suns |
3
|
TNT |
5.0
|
8,460
|
| T13 | Tue., 5/19/09 | Nuggets/Lakers | 1 | ESPN |
5.0
|
8,085
|
| T15 | Mon., 5/24/10 | Magic/Celtics | 4 | ESPN |
4.9
|
7,960
|
| T15 | Thu., 5/21/09 | Nuggets/Lakers | 2 | ESPN |
4.9
|
7,886
|
| T15 | Tue., 5/25/10 | Lakers/Suns | 4 | TNT |
4.9
|
7,641
|
