Ratings and viewership for every game of the 2013 NBA Playoffs. Click here to jump straight to the chart.
As should be no surprise, the top game of the NBA Playoffs was Game 7 of the Spurs/Heat NBA Finals. Game 7 earned a 15.3 final rating and 26.3 million viewers on ABC alone (an additional 269,000 viewers watched on ESPN Deportes), the second-largest audience for any NBA game since 1998.
Game 6 of the series ranked second for the postseason, with a 12.3 and 20.6 million viewers — the seventh-largest NBA audience since ’98.
Overall, eighteen of the 20 most-viewed playoff games involved the Miami Heat, including the top sixteen. Even Game 4 of the Heat/Bucks first round yawner had more viewers than any non-Heat playoff game.
TNT’s top game of the postseason was Game 7 of the Heat/Pacers Eastern Conference Finals (7.1, 11.6M), which ranks as the most-viewed NBA game ever on the network. The top game on ESPN was Game 3 of the Heat/Bulls second round series (4.2, 6.6M). The top game on NBA TV was Game 2 of the Heat/Bucks first round series (0.5, 764K).
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the lowest rating of the playoffs was a 0.1 for Games 2, 4 and 5 of the Pacers/Hawks first round series on NBA TV. Excluding NBA TV, the lowest rating was a 0.4 for Game 6 of Pacers/Hawks on ESPN2. The Pacers/Hawks series accounted for the lowest rated games of the playoffs on NBA TV, ESPN2 and ESPN, and tied the lowest rating of the playoffs on TNT — matching a Heat/Bucks game that aired opposite the first round of the NFL Draft.
Ratings/Viewership For the 2013 NBA Playoffs
Click here to jump to series:
First Round: MIA-MIL, NY-BOS, IND-ATL, BRK-CHI, OKC-HOU, SA-LAL, DEN-GS, LAC-MEM
Second Round: MIA-CHI, NY-IND, OKC-MEM, SA-GS
Conf. Finals: MIA-IND, SA-MEM
NBA Finals: MIA-SA
First Round
| First Round: #1 Heat vs. #8 Bucks [top] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gm. #
|
Date | Time (ET) | Away | Home | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|
Game 1
|
Sun., 4/21/13 | 7:00 PM | Bucks | Heat | TNT |
3.0
|
4.9M
|
|
Game 2
|
Tue., 4/23/13 | 7:30 PM | Bucks | Heat | NBA TV |
0.5
|
764K
|
|
Game 3
|
Thu., 4/25/13 | 7:00 PM | Heat | Bucks | TNT |
1.5
|
2.1M
|
|
Game 4
|
Sun., 4/28/13 | 3:30 PM | Heat | Bucks | ABC |
3.8
|
6.0M
|
| First Round: #2 Knicks vs. #7 Celtics [top] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gm. #
|
Date | Time (ET) | Away | Home | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|
Game 1
|
Sat., 4/20/13 | 3:00 PM | Celtics | Knicks | ABC |
2.9
|
4.4M
|
|
Game 2
|
Tue., 4/23/13 | 8:00 PM | Celtics | Knicks | TNT |
2.3
|
3.4M
|
|
Game 3
|
Fri., 4/26/13 | 8:00 PM | Knicks | Celtics | ESPN |
1.9
|
2.9M
|
|
Game 4
|
Sun., 4/28/13 | 1:00 PM | Knicks | Celtics | ABC |
3.3
|
4.9M
|
|
Game 5
|
Wed., 5/1/13 | 7:00 PM | Celtics | Knicks | TNT |
2.3
|
3.5M
|
|
Game 6
|
Fri., 5/3/13 | 7:00 PM | Knicks | Celtics | ESPN |
2.3
|
3.5M
|
| First Round: #3 Pacers vs. #6 Hawks [top] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gm. #
|
Date | Time (ET) | Away | Home | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|
Game 1
|
Sun., 4/21/13 | 1:00 PM | Hawks | Pacers | TNT |
1.5
|
2.2M
|
|
Game 2
|
Wed., 4/24/13 | 7:30 PM | Hawks | Pacers | NBA TV |
0.1
|
195K
|
|
Game 3
|
Sat., 4/27/13 | 7:00 PM | Pacers | Hawks | ESPN |
1.3
|
2.0M
|
|
Game 4
|
Mon., 4/29/13 | 7:30 PM | Pacers | Hawks | NBA TV |
0.1
|
183K
|
|
Game 5
|
Wed., 5/1/13 | 8:00 PM | Hawks | Pacers | NBA TV |
0.1
|
170K
|
|
Game 6
|
Fri., 5/3/13 | 7:00 PM | Pacers | Hawks | ESPN2 |
0.4
|
644K
|
| First Round: #4 Nets vs. #5 Bulls [top] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gm. #
|
Date | Time (ET) | Away | Home | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|
Game 1
|
Sat., 4/20/13 | 8:00 PM | Bulls | Nets | ESPN |
2.1
|
3.3M
|
|
Game 2
|
Mon., 4/22/13 | 8:00 PM | Bulls | Nets | TNT |
2.1
|
3.0M
|
|
Game 3
|
Thu., 4/25/13 | 8:30 PM | Nets | Bulls | NBA TV |
0.2
|
245K
|
|
Game 4
|
Sat., 4/27/13 | 2:00 PM | Nets | Bulls | TNT |
1.7
|
2.5M
|
|
Game 5
|
Mon., 4/29/13 | 7:00 PM | Bulls | Nets | TNT |
1.8
|
2.6M
|
|
Game 6
|
Thu., 5/2/13 | 8:00 PM | Nets | Bulls | TNT |
2.8
|
4.1M
|
|
Game 7
|
Sat., 5/4/13 | 8:00 PM | Bulls | Nets | TNT |
2.7
|
4.4M
|
| First Round: #1 Thunder vs. #8 Rockets [top] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gm. #
|
Date | Time (ET) | Away | Home | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|
Game 1
|
Sun., 4/21/13 | 9:30 PM | Rockets | Thunder | TNT |
2.8
|
4.3M
|
|
Game 2
|
Wed., 4/24/13 | 7:00 PM | Rockets | Thunder | TNT |
2.0
|
3.1M
|
|
Game 3
|
Sat., 4/27/13 | 9:30 PM | Thunder | Rockets | ESPN |
2.1
|
3.3M
|
|
Game 4
|
Mon., 4/29/13 | 9:30 PM | Thunder | Rockets | TNT |
2.6
|
3.8M
|
|
Game 5
|
Wed., 5/1/13 | 9:30 PM | Rockets | Thunder | TNT |
3.0
|
4.5M
|
|
Game 6
|
Fri., 5/3/13 | 9:30 PM | Thunder | Rockets | ESPN |
2.6
|
4.0M
|
| First Round: #2 Spurs vs. #7 Lakers [top] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gm. #
|
Date | Time (ET) | Away | Home | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|
Game 1
|
Sun., 4/21/13 | 3:30 PM | Lakers | Spurs | ABC |
3.6
|
5.5M
|
|
Game 2
|
Wed., 4/24/13 | 9:30 PM | Lakers | Spurs | TNT |
2.8
|
4.3M
|
|
Game 3
|
Fri., 4/26/13 | 10:30 PM | Spurs | Lakers | ESPN |
2.0
|
2.9M
|
|
Game 4
|
Sun., 4/28/13 | 7:00 PM | Spurs | Lakers | TNT |
2.3
|
3.5M
|
| First Round: #3 Nuggets vs. #6 Warriors [top] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gm. #
|
Date | Time (ET) | Away | Home | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|
Game 1
|
Sat., 4/20/13 | 5:30 PM | Warriors | Nuggets | ESPN |
1.9
|
2.8M
|
|
Game 2
|
Tue., 4/23/13 | 10:30 PM | Warriors | Nuggets | TNT |
2.0
|
2.9M
|
|
Game 3
|
Fri., 4/26/13 | 10:30 PM | Nuggets | Warriors | ESPN2 |
1.0
|
1.4M
|
|
Game 4
|
Sun., 4/28/13 | 9:30 PM | Nuggets | Warriors | TNT |
2.2
|
3.2M
|
|
Game 5
|
Tue., 4/30/13 | 8:00 PM | Warriors | Nuggets | TNT |
2.0
|
3.0M
|
|
Game 6
|
Thu., 5/2/13 | 10:30 PM | Nuggets | Warriors | TNT |
2.8
|
4.4M
|
| First Round: #4 Clippers vs. #5 Grizzlies [top] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gm. #
|
Date | Time (ET) | Away | Home | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|
Game 1
|
Sat., 4/20/13 | 10:30 PM | Grizzlies | Clippers | ESPN |
2.1
|
3.3M
|
|
Game 2
|
Mon., 4/22/13 | 10:30 PM | Grizzlies | Clippers | TNT |
2.2
|
3.1M
|
|
Game 3
|
Thu., 4/25/13 | 9:30 PM | Clippers | Grizzlies | TNT |
1.7
|
2.6M
|
|
Game 4
|
Sat., 4/27/13 | 4:30 PM | Clippers | Grizzlies | TNT |
1.9
|
2.9M
|
|
Game 5
|
Tue., 4/30/13 | 10:30 PM | Grizzlies | Clippers | TNT |
2.2
|
3.1M
|
|
Game 6
|
Fri., 5/3/13 | 9:30 PM | Clippers | Grizzlies | ESPN2 |
1.0
|
1.6M
|
Second Round
| Semifinals: #1 Heat vs. #5 Bulls [top] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gm. #
|
Date | Time (ET) | Away | Home | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|
Game 1
|
Mon., 5/6/13 | 7:00 PM | Bulls | Heat | TNT |
3.6
|
5.5M
|
|
Game 2
|
Wed., 5/8/13 | 7:00 PM | Bulls | Heat | TNT |
3.5
|
5.3M
|
|
Game 3
|
Fri., 5/10/13 | 8:00 PM | Heat | Bulls | ESPN |
4.2
|
6.6M
|
|
Game 4
|
Mon., 5/13/13 | 7:00 PM | Heat | Bulls | TNT |
3.2
|
4.9M
|
|
Game 5
|
Wed., 5/15/13 | 7:00 PM | Bulls | Heat | TNT |
3.6
|
5.5M
|
| Semifinals: #2 Knicks vs. #3 Pacers [top] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gm. #
|
Date | Time (ET) | Away | Home | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|
Game 1
|
Sun., 5/5/13 | 3:30 PM | Pacers | Knicks | ABC |
3.9
|
6.0M
|
|
Game 2
|
Tue., 5/7/13 | 7:00 PM | Pacers | Knicks | TNT |
2.5
|
3.7M
|
|
Game 3
|
Sat., 5/11/13 | 8:15 PM | Knicks | Pacers | ABC |
3.5
|
5.3M
|
|
Game 4
|
Tue., 5/14/13 | 7:00 PM | Knicks | Pacers | TNT |
2.8
|
4.1M
|
|
Game 5
|
Thu., 5/16/13 | 8:00 PM | Pacers | Knicks | TNT |
3.1
|
4.6M
|
|
Game 6
|
Sat., 5/18/13 | 8:00 PM | Knicks | Pacers | ESPN |
3.0
|
4.9M
|
| Semifinals: #1 Thunder vs. #5 Grizzlies [top] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gm. #
|
Date | Time (ET) | Away | Home | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|
Game 1
|
Sun., 5/5/13 | 1:00 PM | Grizzlies | Thunder | ABC |
3.0
|
4.3M
|
|
Game 2
|
Tue., 5/7/13 | 9:30 PM | Grizzlies | Thunder | TNT |
3.3
|
4.8M
|
|
Game 3
|
Sat., 5/11/13 | 5:00 PM | Thunder | Grizzlies | ESPN |
2.3
|
3.4M
|
|
Game 4
|
Mon., 5/13/13 | 9:30 PM | Thunder | Grizzlies | TNT |
3.4
|
5.0M
|
|
Game 5
|
Wed., 5/15/13 | 9:30 PM | Grizzlies | Thunder | TNT |
3.6
|
5.3M
|
| Semifinals: #2 Spurs vs. #6 Warriors [top] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gm. #
|
Date | Time (ET) | Away | Home | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|
Game 1
|
Mon., 5/6/13 | 9:30 PM | Warriors | Spurs | TNT |
3.6
|
5.5M
|
|
Game 2
|
Wed., 5/8/13 | 9:30 PM | Warriors | Spurs | TNT |
3.6
|
5.3M
|
|
Game 3
|
Fri., 5/10/13 | 10:30 PM | Spurs | Warriors | ESPN |
3.6
|
5.4M
|
|
Game 4
|
Sun., 5/12/13 | 3:30 PM | Spurs | Warriors | ABC |
3.4
|
5.3M
|
|
Game 5
|
Tue., 5/14/13 | 9:30 PM | Warriors | Spurs | TNT |
3.5
|
5.3M
|
|
Game 6
|
Thu., 5/16/13 | 10:30 PM | Spurs | Warriors | ESPN |
2.6
|
3.8M
|
Conference Finals
| East Finals: #1 Heat vs. #3 Pacers [top] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gm. #
|
Date | Time (ET) | Away | Home | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|
Game 1
|
Wed., 5/22/13 | 8:30 PM | Pacers | Heat | TNT |
5.3
|
8.2M
|
|
Game 2
|
Fri., 5/24/13 | 8:30 PM | Pacers | Heat | TNT |
4.4
|
7.0M
|
|
Game 3
|
Sun., 5/26/13 | 8:30 PM | Heat | Pacers | TNT |
4.5
|
7.3M
|
|
Game 4
|
Tue., 5/28/13 | 8:30 PM | Heat | Pacers | TNT |
5.1
|
8.1M
|
|
Game 5
|
Thu., 5/30/13 | 8:30 PM | Pacers | Heat | TNT |
5.4
|
8.5M
|
|
Game 6
|
Sat., 6/1/13 | 8:30 PM | Heat | Pacers | TNT |
4.9
|
8.2M
|
|
Game 7
|
Mon., 6/3/13 | 8:30 PM | Pacers | Heat | TNT |
7.1
|
11.6M
|
| West Finals: #2 Spurs vs. #5 Grizzlies [top] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gm. #
|
Date | Time (ET) | Away | Home | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|
Game 1
|
Sun., 5/19/13 | 3:30 PM | Grizzlies | Spurs | ABC |
3.1
|
4.9M
|
|
Game 2
|
Tue., 5/21/13 | 9:00 PM | Grizzlies | Spurs | ESPN |
3.1
|
4.6M
|
|
Game 3
|
Sat., 5/25/13 | 9:00 PM | Spurs | Grizzlies | ESPN |
3.1
|
4.9M
|
|
Game 4
|
Mon., 5/27/13 | 9:00 PM | Spurs | Grizzlies | ESPN |
3.2
|
5.2M
|
NBA Finals
| NBA Finals: #1 Heat vs. #2 Spurs [top] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gm. #
|
Date | Time (ET) | Away | Home | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|
Game 1
|
Thu., 6/6/13 | 9:00 PM | Spurs | Heat | ABC |
8.8
|
14.2M
|
|
Game 2
|
Sun., 6/9/13 | 8:00 PM | Spurs | Heat | ABC |
8.5
|
14.6M
|
|
Game 3
|
Tue., 6/11/13 | 9:00 PM | Heat | Spurs | ABC |
8.5
|
14.0M
|
|
Game 4
|
Thu., 6/13/13 | 9:00 PM | Heat | Spurs | ABC |
10.0
|
16.2M
|
|
Game 5
|
Sun., 6/16/13 | 8:00 PM | Heat | Spurs | ABC |
9.5
|
16.3M
|
|
Game 6
|
Tue., 6/18/13 | 9:00 PM | Spurs | Heat | ABC |
12.3
|
20.6M
|
|
Game 7
|
Thu., 6/20/13 | 9:00 PM | Spurs | Heat | ABC |
15.3
|
26.3M
|
(This year’s numbers from various sources, including ESPN, Turner Sports, Sports Business Daily, The Futon Critic, and Son of the Bronx)
