With the Cavs in greater peril than ever, Eastern Conference Finals ratings surged to a five-year high Tuesday night.
Tuesday’s Cavaliers-Celtics NBA East Finals Game 2 earned a 5.1 rating and 8.2 million viewers on ESPN, up 70% in ratings and 61% in viewership from the same matchup on TNT last year, which Cleveland won by 44 (3.0, 5.1M), and up 46% and 50% respectively from Raptors-Cavs on ESPN in 2016 (3.5, 5.5M).
Versus the same window on ESPN last year, Game 2 of the Spurs-Warriors Western Conference Finals, ratings increased 46% (from 3.5) and viewership 42% (from 5.8M).
The Celtics’ comeback win was the highest rated and most-watched Eastern Conference Finals game since 2013 (Pacers-Heat Game 7: 7.1, 11.6M). It also ranks as the top conference final Game 2 — East or West — since 2012 (Celtics-Heat: 5.7, 8.8M) and the top NBA game on ESPN since 2015 (Rockets-Warriors Game 5: 5.6, 8.9M).
For the postseason, it delivered the second-largest audience behind Warriors-Rockets Game 1 on TNT Monday night (5.4, 8.8M). Eastern Conference games have generated eight of the nine largest audiences thus far. The Cavaliers in particular account for seven of the top nine.
Game 2 had a 3.3 rating adults 18-49, up 65% from Cavs-Celtics last year (2.0) and up 50% from Raptors-Cavs in 2016 (2.2). It finished first for the night in the demo, cruising past broadcast’s biggest success this season, ABC’s reanimated “Roseanne” (2.6).
The game also took top honors in adults 18-34 (3.0), more-than-doubling second-place “Roseanne” (1.4).
Cleveland led all markets Tuesday with a 24.4 rating, followed by Boston (16.0). Local ratings for last year’s Game 2 were not available. Secondary markets Columbus, Ohio (11.4) and Providence (10.9) were second and third. The Bay Area, where Warriors fans are presumably already looking ahead to the NBA Finals, ranked fifth (9.0).
[Tue. numbers from Programming Insider 5.16; ESPN PR 5.16; ShowBuzz Daily 5.16]
