In an NBA that is one team deep, only one team is moving the needle.
Sunday’s Rockets-Warriors NBA semifinal Game 1 earned a 4.5 rating and 7.26 million viewers on ABC, up 25% in ratings and 26% in viewership from last year (Jazz-Rockets Game 1: 3.6, 5.78M), and up 22% and 24% respectively from 2017 (Jazz-Clippers Game 7: 3.7, 5.84M).
Golden State’s narrow win delivered the largest first or second round NBA playoff audience in seven years — since Lakers-Thunder Game 5 in 2012 (8.15M). The previous high was 7.24 million for Game 4 of a Warriors-Rockets first round series in 2016.
It also tied the highest rating since that 2012 game (5.3), matching Warriors-Rockets in ’16 and two other 2012 games, Heat-Pacers Game 6 and Sixers-Celtics Game 7.
Golden State also scored an increase on Friday night, as their Game 6 win over the Clippers drew a 2.4 and 3.71 million on ESPN — up a tick in ratings and 3% in viewership from last year (Jazz-Thunder: 2.3, 3.60M) and up a third and 31% respectively from 2017 (Clippers-Jazz: 1.8, 2.84M).
Of the 43 NBA playoff games that can be compared to last year, only nine have posted an increase in ratings and/or viewership. Of those nine, more than half — five — have involved Golden State.
In other action, Sunday’s Celtics-Bucks Game 1 had a 2.8 and 4.20 million — down a third in ratings and 38% in viewership from Pacers-Cavaliers Game 7 last year (4.2, 6.80M). Compared to Wizards-Celtics Game 1 in the same window two years ago, ratings were flat and viewership increased a fraction of a percent from 4.19 million.
On Saturday, Spurs-Nuggets Game 7 had a 2.2 and 3.49 million on TNT — down 19% in ratings and 23% in viewership from Pelicans-Warriors Game 1 last year (2.7, 4.56M).
Earlier in the night, Sixers-Raptors Game 1 had a 1.95 and 3.08 million, down 21% and 24% respectively from Bucks-Celtics Game 7 last year (2.5, 4.06M).
Most-watched early round NBA playoff games since 2012
[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 4.30]
