Even with a lopsided score and tough competition from Tiger Woods, Cavs-Celtics ratings still held up well on ABC.
Sunday’s Cavaliers-Celtics NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 had a 4.3 rating and 7.2 million viewers on ABC, up 13% in ratings and 12% in viewership from the same matchup last year, which aired on TNT on a Wednesday (3.8, 6.4M), and up 26% and 34% respectively from Raptors-Cavs in 2016, which aired on ESPN on a Tuesday (3.4, 5.4M).
Compared to Game 1 of last year’s Spurs-Warriors West Finals, which aired in the same window on the same network, ratings fell 7% (from 4.6) and viewership 11% (from 8.1M).
The Celtics’ easy win was the highest rated Eastern Conference Finals opener since 2015 (Cavs-Hawks: 4.4) and the most-watched since 2014 (Heat-Pacers: 7.8M). The 2014 game was LeBron James‘ only other conference final appearance on ABC.
Game 1 was the highest rated and most-watched game of the playoffs until Monday night, when Warriors-Rockets had a 5.4 and 8.8 million on TNT. It now ranks second, with Eastern Conference games accounting for seven of the top eight.
Sunday’s game was the highest rated and most-watched sporting event of the weekend, but it faced unusually tough PGA Tour competition. The final round of The Players Championship — which saw Tiger Woods surge up the leaderboard to second place — had 3.6 rating and 5.8 million viewers, ranking second among all weekend sportscasts.
In adults 18-49, Cavs-Celtics was Sunday’s top program on any network (2.5), cruising past ABC’s second place “American Idol” (1.7). Head-to-head, the NBA more-than-doubled the PGA Tour in the demo (1.0).
Most-Watched 2018 NBA Playoff Games
Through Monday
[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 5.15]
