With the Warriors taking up all the oxygen, LeBron James does not move the needle like he used to.
Game 3 of the Cavaliers/Hawks NBA playoff series drew 3.2 million viewers on ESPN Friday night, down 43% from Cavaliers/Bulls last year (5.6M) and down 1% from Pacers/Wizards opposite the NFL Draft in 2014 (3.23M to 3.18M).
Outside of Nets/Heat Game 2 in 2014, which aired on ESPN2 opposite the NFL Draft (3.0M), viewership was the lowest for a second round playoff game involving LeBron James in the past eight years — since Cavaliers/Celtics Game 2 in 2008 (3.1M).
In other Eastern Conference action, Saturday’s Raptors/Heat Game 3 had 2.3 million viewers — down 2% from Hawks/Wizards last year (2.4M) and the least-watched second-round playoff game since Magic/Hawks Game 3 in 2010 (2.0M). Keep in mind the game faced competition from the Kentucky Derby.
Eastern Conference series account for eight of the ten smallest second round audiences since 2010, with the previously mentioned Cavaliers/Hawks game ranking tenth.
Out west, Games 3 and 4 of Spurs/Thunder drew 5.0 million viewers on ESPN and 5.1 million on TNT — flat and up 1%, respectively, from 5.0 million for Games 3 and 4 of Rockets/Clippers last year.
