The NBA’s two biggest television draws combined to deliver one of the largest audiences of the season on Sunday.
Warriors-Lakers averaged a 2.1 rating and 3.95 million viewers on ABC’s NBA Sunday Showcase over the weekend, marking the largest non-Christmas audience of the season and the largest such audience on ABC since the same matchup in February 2019 (4.09M). The 31-34 Lakers have now played in seven of the 12 most-watched games this season, more than any other team. The Warriors rank second with five.
The Lakers’ win increased 27% in ratings and a third in viewership from Suns-Bucks in the same window last year (1.7, 2.97M). It also increased 16% and 18% respectively from Warriors-Lakers on the same weekend last year, which aired in ABC’s Saturday night window (1.8, 3.34M).
For the weekend, Warriors-Lakers ranked a close second among sporting events behind the competing NASCAR Cup Series race from Las Vegas (2.2, 3.99M). It topped the charts in the key young adult demographics, ranking as television’s highest rated show of the weekend in adults 18-49 (0.99), 18-34 (0.68) and 25-54 (1.18).
In addition to the other superlatives, Sunday’s game marked the largest Laker audience without LeBron James in the lineup since the aforementioned February 2019 game. Though James was absent, Sunday marked Warriors G Stephen Curry’s return to the line-up after a lengthy injury.
All four NBA games on ESPN/ABC Sunday posted double-digit increases in viewership. ABC’s Suns-Mavericks lead-in — pitting former Brooklyn teammates Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving — averaged a 1.6 and 2.81 million, up 21% in ratings and 28% in viewership from Nets-Celtics last year (1.3, 2.19M).
On ESPN, the double-overtime Knicks-Celtics game averaged a 1.2 and 2.15 million — the network’s largest NBA audience of the season and up 74% in both measures from Raptors-Cavaliers last year (0.7, 1.23M). The Grizzlies-Clippers nightcap brought up the rear with a 0.75 and 1.25 million, up 21% and 17% respectively from Knicks-Clippers last year (0.6, 1.07M).
In other NBA action, Sixers-Bucks drew a 1.35 and 2.24 million on ABC’s NBA Saturday Primetime — down 26% and 33% respectively from Warriors-Lakers last year and the network’s least-watched primetime game this season. ESPN the previous night drew a 0.7 (-9%) and 1.24 million (-1%) for Grizzlies-Nuggets and a 0.7 and 1.21 million for Nets-Celtics (-19%).
TNT last Thursday drew a 0.9 and 1.49 million for Clippers-Warriors (+9%) and a 0.8 (+14%) and 1.43 million (+21%) for Sixers-Mavericks. Finally, ESPN last Wednesday drew a 0.75 (-16%) and 1.26 million (-12%) for Cavaliers-Celtics and a 0.6 (+5%) and 1.02 million (+7%) for Pelicans-Blazers.
(Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 3.7)
