The NBA Western Conference Finals was less of a draw in Game 2 than Game 1, but still topped the sports viewership charts for Friday, May 24.
Friday’s Mavericks-Timberwolves NBA Western Conference Finals Game 2 averaged 6.27 million viewers across TNT (6.14M) and truTV (130K), down 18% from Lakers-Nuggets on ESPN last year (7.66M), but still the top sportscast of the day. The Mavericks’ win posted a notably steeper decline than Game 1 of the series last Wednesday (-5%).
Viewership also declined 7% from Mavericks-Warriors Game 2 in 2022 (6.77M), after Game 1 outpaced that series by 8%. Game 2 did increase 2% over last year’s conference final on TNT, Heat-Celtics in the East (6.13M).
In other conference final action, ESPN averaged 2.12 million for Game 2 of the Panthers-Rangers NHL Eastern Conference Final — up 29% from Panthers-Hurricanes on TNT last year (1.64M) and up 31% from last year’s conference final Game 2 on the ESPN networks, Golden Knights-Stars on ABC (1.62M).
Compared to the last time New York made the conference final two years ago — against Tampa Bay — viewership declined 9% from 2.32 million. For more on NHL conference final viewership, see this article.
Outside of the NBA and NHL playoffs, the day’s top sportscast was the Fever-Sparks WNBA regular season game on ION — featuring #1 pick Caitlin Clark and #2 pick Cameron Brink — at 724,000 viewers, the largest WNBA audience ever on the Scripps-owned “netlet.” Additional information is available here.
Shifting to the NCAA softball super regionals, Oklahoma-Florida State Game 2 averaged 706,000 on ESPN2 — up 38% from FSU-Georgia on ESPN last year (510K). Texas A&M-Texas Game 1 led in with 641,000 (+12%), preceded by Alabama-Tennessee Game 1 at 550,000 (-2%).
The full day of super regionals averaged 400,000 viewers across ESPN2 (469K) and ESPNU (95K) — down from last year on ESPN and ESPN2 (460K).
Further down the list, NASCAR Truck Series racing from Charlotte drew 519,000 — down from last year’s 548,000 — preceded by an ARCA race there at 302,000. The second round of the PGA Tour Fort Worth tournament averaged 398,000, down from 440,000 a year ago.
Not making the below chart, the FS1 talk show “Undisputed” averaged just 31,000 viewers — its smallest audience since returning from hiatus.
Friday, May 24 sports ratings
Updated chart:
Original chart below (includes WWE Smackdown)
