The Warriors’ first unexpected result in two years delivered strong numbers for TNT.
Tuesday’s Rockets-Warriors NBA Western Conference Finals Game 4 earned a 5.0 rating and 8.3 million viewers on TNT, up 39% in ratings and 43% in viewership from Warriors-Spurs on ESPN last year (3.6, 5.8M) but down 7% and 4% respectively from Warriors-Thunder on TNT in 2016 (5.4, 8.6M).
Compared to the same Tuesday night window on TNT last year, Celtics-Cavaliers Game 4, ratings increased 16% (from 4.3) and viewership 18% (from 7.0M).
The Rockets’ win, which peaked with 10.6 million from 11:15-11:30 PM ET, was the second-most watched Game 4 of the West Finals since 2009 (Lakers-Nuggets: 9.7M). The 2016 series holds the top spot.
It was also the second-most watched game of the playoffs, behind Game 1 of the series May 14 (8.8M). Rockets-Warriors accounts for three of the top four games.
Through four games, the Western Conference Finals is averaging 8.1 million viewers on TNT — up 24% from Warriors-Spurs last year (6.5M) but down 1% from Warriors-Thunder in 2016 (8.2M). Notably, three of the four games have declined from 2016.
Compared to last year’s Celtics-Cavs East Finals on TNT, viewership has increased 27%.
Game 5 had a 3.1 rating in adults 18-49 (+51%), the night’s top rating in the demo. It comfortably topped the season finale of ABC’s reanimated “Roseanne” (2.5).
In adults 18-34, the game had a 2.8 rating (+56%) — doubling “Roseanne” (1.4), which finished in third-place behind both the game itself and “Inside the NBA” (1.6).
[Numbers from Turner Sports PR; Programming Insider 5.23; ShowBuzz Daily 5.23]
