A pair of seventh games helped ABC to solid numbers for the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
ABC averaged a 3.4 rating and 5.3 million viewers for six first round NBA playoff games, flat in ratings and up 3% in viewership from four games last year (3.4, 5.1M). Unlike last year, the network aired two game sevens.
Game 7 of the Mavericks/Spurs series earned a 4.2 final rating and 6.5 million viewers on ABC last Sunday, up 8% in ratings and 9% in viewership from Pacers/Knicks Game 1 last year (3.9, 6.0M), and down 5% and 8%, respectively, from Pacers/Heat Game 1 in 2012 (4.4, 7.0M). Despite the Spurs’ blowout win, the game earned the fifth-largest first round audience ever on ABC, and the network’s largest audience for a first round Game 7.
Overall, Mavericks/Spurs ranks as the second-most viewed first round Game 7 since the best-of-seven format began in 2003, trailing only Bulls/Celtics on TNT in 2009 (7.0M). It also earned the top audience of this year’s playoffs on any network (through Thursday), topping Clippers/Warriors Game 4 in the same window a week earlier (6.5M).
Earlier Sunday, Game 7 of the Nets/Raptors series drew a 3.1 and 4.8 million viewers – up 3% in ratings and 12% in viewership from Grizzlies/Thunder Game 1 last year (3.0, 4.3M), and down 3% and up 3%, respectively, from Clippers/Grizzlies Game 7 in 2012 (3.2, 4.7M).
(Last week’s numbers/playoff averages from ESPN)
