Despite one of the larger conference final routs in recent years, Rockets-Warriors still delivered a sizable audience Sunday night.
Sunday’s Rockets-Warriors NBA Western Conference Finals Game 3 had a 4.6 rating and 7.80 million viewers on TNT, up 24% in ratings and 23% in viewership from Warriors-Spurs on ESPN last year, which aired on a Saturday night (3.7, 6.3M), but down a tick and 3% respectively from Warriors-Thunder on TNT in 2016 (4.7, 8.0M).
Versus the same window on TNT last year, Celtics-Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, ratings increased 15% (from 4.0) and viewership 11% (from 7.0M).
Golden State’s 41-point win, which peaked with 9.1 million viewers from 9:30-9:45 PM ET, was the second-most watched Game 3 of the West Finals since 2010 (Lakers-Suns: 8.5M). The 2016 game holds the top spot.
It ranks as the third-most watched game of the postseason. Game 1 of the series last Monday holds the top spot (8.8M), followed by Cavaliers-Celtics Game 2 last Tuesday (8.2M). Game 3 earned a larger audience than last Wednesday’s Game 2, which Houston won in a comparably modest 22-point rout (7.5M).
The Warriors-Rockets series has averaged 8.0 million viewers thus far, up 18% from Warriors-Spurs last year, but down 1% from 2016 (8.1M). The series had been slightly ahead of the 2016 pace prior to Sunday night. Compared to last year’s East Finals on TNT, viewership is up 30%.
Game 3 had a 2.9 rating in adults 18-49 (+38%) and a 2.6 in adults 18-34 (+30%). It was easily the night’s top program in both measures, cruising past ABC’s “Billboard Music Awards” (2.4; 1.6).
For historical NBA conference final ratings, check here.
[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 5.22 a, b; Turner Sports PR]
