The least-competitive NBA Finals in 11 years ended with the least-watched conclusion in nine.
Friday’s Warriors-Cavaliers NBA Finals Game 4 earned a 9.3 rating and 16.2 million viewers on ABC, down 13% in ratings and 15% in viewership from last year (10.7, 19.1M) and down 5% and 2% respectively from 2016 (9.8, 16.6M), both of which featured the same matchup.
Golden State’s sweep-clinching win was the lowest rated and least-watched NBA Finals game in the four-year run of Warriors-Cavaliers matchups, falling below the previous mark 9.7 and 16.5 million for Game 3 in 2016. It was just the third of 22 finals games between the teams with fewer than 17 million viewers.
It was the least-watched Game 4 of the NBA Finals since 2014 (Spurs-Heat: 15.0M) and tied that 2014 game as the lowest rated since 2008 (Celtics-Lakers: 8.7). Of the 16 game fours since ABC resumed airing the NBA Finals in 2003, it tied for tenth in ratings and ranks seventh in viewership.
Game 4 was also the lowest rated and least-watched NBA Finals clincher in nine years, since Lakers-Magic Game 5 in 2009 (8.0, 14.0M). Compared to last year’s Game 5 clincher, which aired on a Monday night, ratings fell 31% (from 13.5) and viewership 33% (from 24.5M).
Versus previous finals sweeps, Friday’s game increased 43% in ratings and 64% in viewership from Spurs-Cavaliers Game 4 in 2007 (6.5, 9.9M) but fell 14% and 2% respectively from Lakers-Nets Game 4 on NBC in 2002 (10.8, 16.6M).
Overall, Game 4 was the fourth-lowest rated NBA Finals clincher in the past 30 years (dates back to 1988), ahead of Game 5 in 2009, Game 4 in 2007, and Nets-Spurs Game 6 in 2003 (7.5). It was the fifth-least watched since 1999, ahead of those three games and Heat-Mavericks in 2006 (15.7M).
Keep in mind it was the first Friday night finals clincher since 2001. That year, Lakers-Sixers Game 5 had an 11.2 and 17.4 million.
Game 4 had a 5.4 rating in adults 18-49, down 2% from last year (6.8) and down 10% from 2016 (6.0). The 5.4 is tied as the lowest finals rating in the demo since Spurs-Cavs in 2007, matching Game 1 of Magic-Lakers in 2009 and Game 1 of Lakers-Celtics in 2008.
In adults 18-34, Game 4 had a 4.8 rating — down 21% from last year (6.1), down 11% from 2016 (5.4), and the lowest finals rating in that demo since 2007. No other finals game over that span had less than a 5.3 (2008 Lakers-Celtics Game 1). It is worth noting that the 2007 series remains the lowest rated and least-watched primetime NBA Finals on record.
Historical NBA Finals ratings are available here.
Game 4 NBA Finals Ratings, Viewership
Past decade
