Ratings and viewership inched up for the clinching Game 5 of the 2012 NBA Finals.
Game 5 of the Thunder/Heat NBA Finals drew a 10.9 final rating and 18.461 million viewers on ABC Thursday night, up 1% in ratings and 1% in viewership from Heat/Mavericks Game 5 last year (10.8, 18.318M), and up 1% and down 1%, respectively, compared to Lakers/Celtics Game 5 on a Sunday night in 2010 (10.8, 18.654M).
Tuesday’s game ranks as the highest rated Game 5 of the NBA Finals since 2004 (13.8), and the second-most viewed over the same span.
In addition, the game ranks as the sixth-highest rated and seventh-most viewed NBA game on ABC since the network resumed airing games in the 2002-03 season.
At the same time, Game 5 ranks as the lowest rated and least-viewed clinching game of the NBA Finals since Lakers/Magic Game 5 in 2009 (8.0, 14.171M) — not coincidentally the last time the NBA Finals ended in four or five games.
Last year’s Mavericks/Heat Game 6 drew a 13.3 rating and 23.880 million viewers on a Sunday night. Celtics/Lakers Game 7 in 2010 drew a 15.6 and 28.203 million.
Thursday’s game drew a 7.6 rating among adults 18-49, tied as the highest for any television program since the Academy Awards in February. The 7.6 is up 3% from last year (7.4), up 6% from 2010 (7.2), and the highest Game 5 rating in the demo since 2004 (9.4).
Among adults 18-34, the game drew a 7.8 rating — up a tick from last year (7.7), and the highest for a Game 5 in the NBA Finals since 2004.
Average ratings and viewership for the full series will be available shortly.
Ratings/Viewership For Game 5 of the NBA Finals
Past decade
| Year | Date | Away | Home | Net | Rating | Viewers (000) | A18-49 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Thu., 6/21/12 | Thunder | Heat | ABC |
10.9
|
18,461
|
7.6
|
| 2011 | Thu., 6/9/11 | Heat | Mavs | ABC |
10.8
|
18,318
|
7.4
|
| 2010 | Sun., 6/13/10 | Lakers | Celtics | ABC |
10.8
|
18,654
|
7.2
|
| 2009 | Sun., 6/14/09 | Lakers | Magic | ABC |
8.0
|
14,171
|
5.7
|
| 2008 | Sun., 6/15/08 | Celtics | Lakers | ABC |
10.2
|
17,394
|
7.3
|
| 2007 |
Series ended prior to Game 5
|
||||||
| 2006 | Sun., 6/18/06 | Mavs | Heat | ABC |
9.1
|
14,318
|
5.9
|
| 2005 | Sun., 6/19/05 | Spurs | Pistons | ABC |
8.4
|
13,471
|
5.3
|
| 2004 |
Tue., 6/15/04
|
Lakers | Pistons | ABC |
13.8
|
21,843
|
9.4
|
| 2003 | Fri., 6/13/03 | Spurs | Nets | ABC |
6.2
|
9,308
|
3.8
|
| 2002 |
Series ended prior to Game 5
|
||||||
(Thursday’s numbers from ESPN Media Zone, ABC Media Net)
