Is the NBA really this dependent on LeBron James?
Through Thursday, 16 of 19 NBA playoff games have declined from last year, with all-but-one down double-digits to a multi-year low.
Thursday’s Warriors-Clippers Game 3 earned 3.32 million viewers on TNT, down 14% from last year (Warriors-Spurs: 3.85M) and down 4% from 2017 (Spurs-Grizzlies: 3.48M). Ratings were not immediately available.
Golden State’s blowout win earned the largest audience of the postseason on cable (17 telecasts). At the same point of last year’s postseason, it would have ranked ninth.
Earlier Thursday night, Sixers-Nets scored 2.93 million — down 8% from last year (Sixers-Heat: 3.18M) and down 18% from 2017 (Cavaliers-Pacers: 3.59M).
NBA TV brought up the rear with 332,000 for Nuggets-Spurs Game 3 (+4%), just the third game of the postseason to increase over last year. Of the three games to increase, two were Nuggets-Spurs games on NBA TV.
On Wednesday, Jazz-Rockets Game 2 drew a 1.7 and 2.58 million on TNT — down 23% in ratings and 25% in viewership from last year (T’Wolves-Rockets: 2.2, 3.43M) and down 29% and 34% from 2017 (Blazers-Warriors: 2.4, 3.93M).
Pacers-Celtics had a 1.4 (-39%) and 2.16 million (-41%) earlier in the night, while NBA TV chipped in a 0.22 (-27%) and 352,000 (-27%) for Pistons-Bucks.
NBA playoff ratings and viewership through Thursday
| Date | Game | Net | Rtg | +/- | Vwrs | +/- |
| Sat., 4/13 | BKN-PHI Game 1* | ESPN | 1.3 | -54% | 2.043M | -52% |
| ORL-TOR Game 1 | ESPN | 1.5 | -17% | 2.444M | -15% | |
| LAC-GS Game 1^ | ABC | 3.0 | +20% | 4.826M | +20% | |
| SA-DEN Game 1 | ESPN | 1.1 | -45% | 1.828M | -39% | |
| Sun., 4/14 | IND-BOS Game 1 | TNT | 1.2 | -40% | 1.806M | -44% |
| OKC-POR Game 1 | ABC | 2.55 | -32% | 3.897M | -34% | |
| DET-MIL Game 1 | TNT | 1.6 | -36% | 2.663M | -35% | |
| UTA-HOU Game 1 | TNT | 1.9 | -30% | 3.040M | -31% | |
| Mon., 4/15 | BKN-PHI Game 2 | TNT | 1.8 | -22% | 2.846M | -18% |
| LAC-GS Game 2 | TNT | 1.85 | -20% | 2.771M | -25% | |
| Tue., 4/16 | ORL-TOR Game 2 | TNT | 1.45 | -22% | 2.239M | -22% |
| SA-DEN Game 2 | NBA TV | 0.26 | flat | 422K | +1% | |
| OKC-POR Game 2 | TNT | 1.7 | -11% | 2.594M | -11% | |
| Wed., 4/17 | IND-BOS Game 2 | TNT | 1.4 | -39% | 2.161M | -41% |
| DET-MIL Game 2 | NBA TV | 0.22 | -27% | 352K | -27% | |
| UTA-HOU Game 2 | TNT | 1.7 | -23% | 2.578M | -25% | |
| Thu., 4/18 | PHI-BKN Game 3 | TNT | n.a. | n.a. | 2.928M | -8% |
| DEN-SA Game 3 | NBA TV | n.a. | n.a. | 332K | +4% | |
| GS-LAC Game 3 | TNT | n.a. | n.a. | 3.322M | -14% |
* Last year’s comparable window aired on ABC
^ Last year’s comparable window aired on ESPN
[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 4.19, Programming Insider 4.18]
