The Larry O’Brien trophy is destined to remain out West, but so far this postseason the Eastern Conference is generating the biggest ratings.
Wednesday’s Sixers-Celtics NBA Playoffs Game 5 scored a 3.7 rating and 6.0 million viewers on TNT, up 61% in ratings and 59% in viewership from last year (Wizards-Celtics: 2.3, 3.8M) and up 42% and 49% respectively from 2016 (Heat-Raptors: 2.6, 4.0M).
The Celtics’ series-clinching win generated the fourth-largest audience of the playoffs (64 telecasts). Three Cavaliers games hold the top spots — Game 7 against Indiana (6.8M), Game 3 against Toronto (6.4M) and Game 3 against Indiana (6.1M).
Eastern Conference series have generated the six largest audiences of the playoffs and eight of the top 12. The Cavaliers’ dramatic run has been the driving force behind the East’s drawing power, with the team accounting for six of the nine largest audiences by itself.
As for the West, Tuesday’s Pelicans-Warriors Game 5 had a 3.2 and 5.0 million on TNT; there was no comparable window last year.
Jazz-Rockets drew a 2.6 and 4.1 million earlier in the night, down 10% in ratings and 14% in viewership from last year (Rockets-Spurs: 2.9, 4.7M) and down 13% and 11% respectively from 2016 (Thunder-Spurs: 3.0, 4.6M). Four of the five Rockets-Jazz games declined from last year, the only semifinal windows to post a decline.
On Wednesday night, Sixers-Celtics was easily the night’s top television program in adults 18-49. Its 2.2 in the demo cruised past “Empire” on FOX (1.6). On Tuesday, Pelicans-Warriors ranked second among all programs (1.9) behind ABC’s reanimated “Roseanne” (2.6). The NBA took top honors in adults 18-34 on both nights.
Most-Watched 2018 NBA Playoff Games
Through Semifinals
[Numbers from Nielsen via Programming Insider 5.9, 5.10]
