The 2013 NBA Finals has completed a sharp turnaround in the ratings on ABC.
Game 6 of the Spurs/Heat NBA Finals earned a 12.3 final rating and 20.6 million viewers on ABC Tuesday night, down 8% in ratings and 14% in viewership from Mavericks/Heat Game 6 in 2011 (13.3, 23.9M), but up 18% and 15%, respectively, from Celtics/Lakers Game 6 in 2010 (10.4, 18.0M). There was no Game 6 last year.
Tuesday’s game ranks as the fifth-highest rated and fourth-most viewed NBA telecast on ABC since the network reacquired rights in 2002. Only the series-clinching games of Celtics/Lakers 2010 (15.6, 28.2M), Pistons/Lakers in 2004 (13.8, 21.8M), and Mavericks/Heat in 2011 (13.3, 23.9M) drew more viewers.
Excluding series-clinchers, Spurs/Heat Game 6 ranks as the most-viewed NBA telecast on any network since Jazz/Bulls Game 5 in 1998 (30.6M). The previous 15-year high for a non-clinching game was 18.9 million for Lakers/Pacers Game 4 in 2000.
Game 6 also ranks as the highest rated and most-viewed NBA game to ever involve the San Antonio Spurs, topping the previous marks of 11.9 and 19.0 million viewers for Pistons/Spurs Game 7 in 2005.
Since bottoming out at 14.0 million for Game 3, viewership has risen for each subsequent game of the NBA Finals — rising to 16.23 million for Game 4, 16.27 million for Game 5, and then jumping up to 20.6 million for Game 6.
Game 6 earned an 8.5 rating among adults 18-49, down 12% from Game 6 in 2011 (9.7), but up 20% from Game 6 in 2010 (7.1). The 8.5 rating is the highest for any television program in the demo since the Academy Awards on February 24 (13.0) — edging the Louisville/Michigan NCAA Tournament title game (8.4).
The NBA Finals averaged a 9.7 rating and 16.2 million viewers through six games, down 5% in ratings and 7% in viewership from the last six-game series in 2011 (10.2, 17.3M), but flat in ratings and down 1%, respectively, compared to the six-game average in 2010 (9.7, 16.4M). The 2010 NBA Finals was the last to go seven games, and the Game 7 rating (15.6) lifted the average from 9.7 to 10.6.
10 Most-Viewed NBA Games Since 1998
Asterisk (*) indicates series-clinching game
|
#
|
Date
|
Away | Home |
Net
|
Rating
|
Viewers
|
Round
|
Game #
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thu., 6/7/10 | Celtics | Lakers | ABC |
15.6
|
28.2M
|
Finals
|
Game 7*
|
| 2 | Sun., 6/12/11 | Mavs | Heat | ABC |
13.3
|
23.9M
|
Finals
|
Game 6*
|
| 3 | Sun., 6/2/02 | Lakers | Kings | NBC |
14.4
|
23.8M
|
WCF
|
Game 7*
|
| 4 | Mon., 6/19/00 | Pacers | Lakers | NBC |
14.7
|
22.4M
|
Finals
|
Game 6*
|
| 5 | Tue., 6/15/04 | Lakers | Pistons | ABC |
13.8
|
21.8M
|
Finals
|
Game 5*
|
| 6 | Tue., 6/18/13 | Spurs | Heat | ABC |
12.3
|
20.6M
|
Finals
|
Game 6
|
| 7 | Sun., 6/13/04 | Lakers | Pistons | ABC |
12.7
|
20.3M
|
Finals
|
Game 4
|
| 8 | Sun., 6/10/01 | Lakers | Sixers | NBC |
12.7
|
20.3M
|
Finals
|
Game 3
|
| 9 | Wed., 6/13/01 | Lakers | Sixers | NBC |
12.6
|
20.0M
|
Finals
|
Game 4
|
| 10 | Sun., 6/4/00 | Blazers | Lakers | NBC |
12.4
|
19.1M
|
WCF
|
Game 7*
|
(Tue. numbers from ESPN Media Zone, with additional info from ESPN, ABC Media Net)
