Warriors-Rockets Game 7 ratings fell just shy of the NBA’s all-time cable record.
Monday’s Warriors-Rockets NBA Western Conference Finals Game 7 had an 8.1 rating and 14.9 million viewers on TNT, down 9% in ratings and 7% in viewership from Thunder-Warriors in 2016, the most recent West Finals Game 7 (8.9, 16.0M).
Compared to Cavaliers-Celtics Game 7 on ESPN one night earlier, ratings and viewership increased 10% from a 7.3 and 13.6 million.
Golden State’s win, which peaked with 18 million viewers from 11-11:15 PM ET, trails only Thunder-Warriors in ’16 as the highest rated and most-watched NBA game ever on cable television. Two of the top four came in 48 hours, with Cavaliers-Celtics ranking fourth.
Overall, Game 7 was the ninth-most watched non-football sporting event in cable history — behind Thunder-Warriors, two 2014 FIFA World Cup matches on ESPN, and five NCAA Tournament games on Turner Sports, including this year’s Villanova-Michigan national championship (16.0M).
In addition, ratings and viewership were the second-best for any NBA game — excluding the NBA Finals — since 2002.
As goes without saying, Game 7 was the highest rated and most-watched game of the NBA season. The Warriors have played in five of the top six games this season, four in the West Finals against Houston and their Christmas Day matchup against Cleveland (8.8M).
Like Cavs-Celtics the previous night, Warriors-Rockets outdrew last year’s Yankees-Astros MLB ALCS Game 7 on FS1 and last month’s final round of The Masters on CBS (13.0M). It narrowly trailed this month’s Kentucky Derby on NBC (14.9M), but had a larger audience at peak (18.0M to 17.5M).
Monday’s game had a 5.7 rating in adults 18-49 and a 5.2 in adults 18-34, down 11% and 16% respectively from Game 7 in 2016 (6.4; 6.2). It was television’s highest rated program in 18-49 since the Academy Awards in March (6.8), surpassing the premiere of ABC’s reanimated — and since cancelled — “Roseanne” (5.2).
Highest NBA Ratings, Viewership, Since 2002
Excluding the NBA Finals
#
Highest Rated
#
Most-Watched
Year
Game
Rtg.
Net
Year
Game
Vwrs.
Net
1
2016
OKC-GS Gm. 7
8.9
TNT
1
2016
OKC-GS Gm. 7
16.00M
TNT
2
2018
GS-HOU Gm. 7
8.1
TNT
2
2018
GS-HOU Gm. 7
14.93M
TNT
3
2012
BOS-MIA Gm. 7
7.7
ESPN
3
2018
CLE-BOS Gm. 7
13.59M
ESPN
4
2018
CLE-BOS Gm. 7
7.3
ESPN
4
2012
BOS-MIA Gm. 7
13.35M
ESPN
2004
MIA-LAL 12/25
7.3
ABC
5
2004
MIA-LAL 12/25
13.18M
ABC
6
2013
IND-MIA Gm. 7
7.1
TNT
6
2010
MIA-LAL 12/25
13.11M
ABC
7
2012
MIA-BOS Gm. 6
6.8
ESPN
7
2013
IND-MIA Gm. 7
11.57M
TNT
2012
MIA-BOS Gm. 4
6.8
ESPN
8
2015
CLE-GS 12/25
11.17M
ABC
9
2003
All-Star Game
6.6
TNT
9
2011
MIA-CHI Gm. 1
11.11M
TNT
10
2003
SA-LAL Gm. 6
6.5
ABC
10
2012
MIA-BOS Gm. 6
11.07M
ESPN
2012
MIA-BOS Gm. 4
11.07M
ESPN
NBA Conference Final Game 7 Ratings, Viewership
Past 20 years
| # | Highest Rated | # | Most-Watched | ||||||
| Year | Game | Rtg. | Net | Year | Game | Vwrs. | Net | ||
| 1 | 2016 | OKC-GS Gm. 7 | 8.9 | TNT | 1 | 2016 | OKC-GS Gm. 7 | 16.00M | TNT |
| 2 | 2018 | GS-HOU Gm. 7 | 8.1 | TNT | 2 | 2018 | GS-HOU Gm. 7 | 14.93M | TNT |
| 3 | 2012 | BOS-MIA Gm. 7 | 7.7 | ESPN | 3 | 2018 | CLE-BOS Gm. 7 | 13.59M | ESPN |
| 4 | 2018 | CLE-BOS Gm. 7 | 7.3 | ESPN | 4 | 2012 | BOS-MIA Gm. 7 | 13.35M | ESPN |
| 2004 | MIA-LAL 12/25 | 7.3 | ABC | 5 | 2004 | MIA-LAL 12/25 | 13.18M | ABC | |
| 6 | 2013 | IND-MIA Gm. 7 | 7.1 | TNT | 6 | 2010 | MIA-LAL 12/25 | 13.11M | ABC |
| 7 | 2012 | MIA-BOS Gm. 6 | 6.8 | ESPN | 7 | 2013 | IND-MIA Gm. 7 | 11.57M | TNT |
| 2012 | MIA-BOS Gm. 4 | 6.8 | ESPN | 8 | 2015 | CLE-GS 12/25 | 11.17M | ABC | |
| 9 | 2003 | All-Star Game | 6.6 | TNT | 9 | 2011 | MIA-CHI Gm. 1 | 11.11M | TNT |
| 10 | 2003 | SA-LAL Gm. 6 | 6.5 | ABC | 10 | 2012 | MIA-BOS Gm. 6 | 11.07M | ESPN |
| 2012 | MIA-BOS Gm. 4 | 11.07M | ESPN | ||||||
