The Heat/Pacers series has been a strong draw for TNT, but still ranks as the least-viewed Eastern Conference final since LeBron James joined Miami.
Game 4 of the Heat/Pacers NBA Eastern Conference Finals drew a 5.1 U.S. rating and 8.1 million viewers on TNT Tuesday night, according to Nielsen fast-nationals — up 24% in ratings and viewership from Spurs/Thunder Game 4 on a Saturday night last year (4.1, 6.5M), but down 16% and 17%, respectively, from Bulls/Heat Game 4 in 2011 (6.1, 9.8M).
Compared to Game 4 of last year’s Heat/Celtics ECF on ESPN, ratings and viewership declined by 25% and 27%, respectively, from a 6.8 and 11.1 million.
Heat/Pacers Game 4 ranks as the #2 game of the NBA Playoffs, trailing only Game 1 last Wednesday (5.3, 8.2M).
On Sunday, Game 3 drew 7.3 million viewers — up 2% from Thunder/Spurs Game 3 last year (7.1M), and down 33% from Bulls/Heat Game 3 in 2011 (10.9M). The game also trailed Game 3 of last year’s Heat/Celtics series on ESPN (7.6M) by 4%.
The game ranks as the least-viewed conference final telecast on a Sunday night since Lakers/Spurs Game 3 in 2008 (5.7M).
So far, every game of the Heat/Pacers series has trailed the comparable game of Heat/Celtics last year and Heat/Bulls in 2011.
Heat/Pacers has averaged a 4.8 U.S. rating and 7.7 million viewers through four games, up 4% in ratings and 7% in viewership from Thunder/Spurs at the comparable point last year (4.6, 7.2M), but down 23% and 26%, respectively, from Heat/Bulls in 2011 (6.2, 10.4M).
The 4.8 average rating for Heat/Pacers tops the four-game Spurs/Grizzlies Western Conference Finals (3.1) by 55%.
(Tuesday’s numbers from Turner Sports, Sunday’s numbers from The Futon Critic)
