The closely-contested fifth game of the Western Conference Finals attracted strong numbers Thursday night.
The Lakers’ Game 5 win over the Suns drew a 5.3 U.S. rating and 8.7 million viewers on TNT Thursday, down 15% in ratings and 13% in viewership from Magic/Cavaliers Game 5 last year (6.2, 10.0 mil), up 15% and 28%, respectively, from Spurs/Lakers Game 5 in ’08 (4.6, 6.8 mil), and up 33% and 55%, respectively, from Cavaliers/Pistons Game 5 in ’07 (4.0, 5.6 mil).
Game 5 stands as the highest rated, most-viewed game of the Conference Finals, and one of the 10 highest rated Conference Final games on cable since 1999.
The game also topped all original programming on broadcast and cable Thursday night (numbers for repeats were not available) in ratings, viewership and the adults 18-49 demographic (3.6).
In Phoenix, Thursday’s game drew a 20.8/34 rating, the highest for a Suns telecast on any network since Spurs/Suns Game 5 in ’07.
Despite the strong numbers, Game 5 is just the latest game of the Conference Finals to have lower numbers compared to last year.
Every game of the Conference Finals — except for Celtics/Magic Game 1 on ABC (even in ratings) and Suns/Lakers Game 1 on TNT (no game on the comparable night last year) — has had a decline in ratings and viewership.
Five of the last six games have had double-digit declines, including Thursday’s game.
