Though still below previous conference finals on TNT, the Spurs/Thunder series picked up a bit over the holiday weekend.
Game 3 of the Spurs/Thunder NBA Western Conference Finals earned a 3.9 U.S. rating and 6.7 million viewers on TNT Sunday night, down 13% in ratings and 8% in viewership from Heat/Pacers last year (4.5, 7.3M) and down 17% and 6%, respectively, from Spurs/Thunder in 2012 (4.7, 7.1M). Game 3 of last year’s Spurs/Grizzlies series drew a 3.1 and 4.9 million on ESPN.
Sunday’s game earned the largest audience of the Spurs/Thunder series thus far and the fifth-largest audience of the playoffs (through Tuesday’s games).
Tuesday’s Game 4 of the series drew a 4.2 and 6.4 million viewers, down 18% in ratings and 21% in viewership from Heat/Pacers last year (5.1, 8.2M) and up 2% and down 2%, respectively, from Spurs/Thunder in 2012 (4.1, 6.5M). Game 4 was the first of the series to have an increase in ratings or viewership compared to 2012.
Through four games, the Spurs/Thunder series has averaged a 4.0 U.S. rating and 6.3 million viewers on TNT — down 17% in ratings and 18% in viewership from Heat/Pacers last year (4.8, 7.7M) and down 13% in both measures from Thunder/Spurs in 2012 (4.6, 7.2M). Compared to last year’s Grizzlies/Spurs series on ESPN/ABC, ratings and viewership have increased 27% and 29%, respectively, over a 3.1 and 4.9 million.
(Weekend numbers from Turner Sports, Bloomberg/TV By the Numbers)
