The Celtics got up off the mat, and TV viewers responded — even if the numbers were still relatively soft.
Sunday’s Celtics-Cavaliers NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 earned a 4.0 final rating and 7.0 million viewers on TNT, up 21% in ratings and 30% in viewership from Cavaliers-Raptors on ESPN last year, which aired on a Saturday night (3.3, 5.4M), but down 15% and 10% respectively from Hawks-Cavaliers on TNT in 2015 (4.7, 7.8M).
Compared to last year’s conference final on TNT, ratings fell 15% and viewership 13% from a 4.7 and 8.0 million for Warriors-Thunder.
Boston’s win, a stunner considering they lost the previous game by 44 points, delivered the largest audience of the playoffs on cable. Including games on ABC, only Spurs-Warriors Game 1 drew a larger audience (8.1M).
The Nielsens bounced back almost as much as the Celtics, recovering from a mere 5.1 million viewers on Friday night — the smallest audience for the East Finals in ten years.
Game 3 earned a 2.9 rating in adults 18-49, up 38% from last year’s ECF (2.1) but down 6% from last year’s WCF on TNT (3.1). In adults 18-34, it had a 2.7 rating — up 50% from last year’s ECF (1.8) but down 10% from last year’s WCF (3.0). It was the night’s top program on all of television in both demos, edging the Billboard Music Awards on ABC (2.6 in A18-49; 2.1 in A18-34). The awards show took top honors in adults 25-54 (3.1 to 3.0).
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 5.23)
