With some assistance from Mother’s Day out-of-home viewing, the NBA scored yet another big early round audience for the Celtics’ Game 7 rout of the Sixers.
Sunday’s Sixers-Celtics second round NBA playoff Game 7 averaged a 3.9 rating and 8.44 million viewers on ABC, trailing only Warriors-Kings Game 7 in the first round (9.84M) and Warriors-Lakers Game 6 in the second (8.64M) as the most-watched early round playoff game since 2011. The four most-watched have come this postseason alone.
The Celtics’ easy win, which peaked with 10.17 million viewers from 5:45-6 PM ET, also ranks as the most-watched second round Game 7 since Cavaliers-Celtics on ABC in 2008 (8.70M). As with all multi-year highs, keep in mind that out-of-home viewing was not factored into Nielsen final nationals prior to three years ago.
Compared to last year’s Bucks-Celtics Game 7 in the same Sunday afternoon window, ratings actually declined a tick (from 4.0) but viewership increased 13% (from 7.48M). This year’s game aired on Mother’s Day and last year’s game did not (Mother’s Day took place one week earlier on the calendar). In general, out-of-home viewing is stronger on holidays — particularly ones like Mother’s Day that involve family gatherings.
Top early round NBA playoff audiences, past decade
Game 7 was the ninth of the postseason to average at least seven million viewers, up from two at this point last season and the most at this point of the playoffs since the current rights deals began in the 2002-03 season.
Entering the conference finals, the NBA Playoffs is averaging 5.23 million viewers on ESPN/ABC — up 14% from last year and the networks’ highest average through the first two rounds since acquiring rights. TNT is averaging 4.1 million (+10%), with its second round average of 5.3 million (+16%) its highest since 2012. The three-network average of 4.6 million is the highest since 2011.
Sixers-Celtics was Sunday’s most-watched television program across all dayparts, ranking comfortably ahead of “60 Minutes” on CBS (6.70M). An NBA game has topped the charts on six separate days this postseason: April 15, 23 and 30 (Warriors-Kings), May 10 and 12 (Lakers-Warriors) and Sunday.
While it is common for the NBA to outpace the rest of television in the young adult demographics, outright viewership victories have traditionally been rare outside of the Finals.
As goes without saying, Sixers-Celtics also dominated the rest of TV in adults 18-49 (3.0), 18-34 (2.3) and 25-54 (3.5).
(Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 5.16 a, b, network PR)
