The perceived inevitability of a Cavaliers-Warriors NBA Finals is starting to take its toll on the Nielsens.
Wednesday’s Cavaliers-Celtics NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 had 6.4 million viewers on TNT, up 19% from Raptors-Cavaliers on ESPN last year (5.4M) but down 6% from Cavaliers-Hawks on TNT in 2015 (6.8M). Ratings were not immediately available.
Compared to last year’s West Finals Game 1 on TNT, viewership fell 26% from 8.7 million for Thunder-Warriors.
Cleveland’s rout delivered the third-smallest audience for a conference final opener involving LeBron James (nine telecasts dating back to 2007), ahead of only last year and Cavaliers-Pistons a decade ago (3.7M). The last time James faced Boston in the conference finals, during the NBA’s post-Decision boom in 2012, Celtics-Heat Game 1 had nine million viewers.
Despite the relatively low numbers, Wednesday’s game was the fourth-most watched of the playoffs — behind Spurs-Warriors Game 1 on Sunday (8.1M), Wizards-Celtics Game 7 on Monday (6.8M) and Blazers-Warriors Game 1 in the first round (6.4M).
It was also the top program of the night on television in adults 18-49 (2.65), topping the season finale of Empire on FOX (2.2). Ratings in the demo increased 15% over last year’s ECF opener (2.30) but fell a full point — 27% — from last year’s WCF on TNT (3.65).
It won by an even more comfortable margin in adults 18-34, topping Empire 2.6 to 1.7. Ratings in that demo increased 15% from last year’s ECF (2.25) but fell 27% from last year’s WCF on TNT (3.49).
(Wed. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 5.18)
