The NBA Western Conference Finals never lived up to its potential on the court, and the same was true in the ratings.
Thursday’s Mavericks-Timberwolves NBA Western Conference Finals Game 5 averaged a combined 3.2 rating and 6.26 million viewers across TNT (6.15M) and truTV (114K), down 11% in ratings and 8% in viewership from the clinching Mavericks-Warriors in 2022, the most recent WCF Game 5 (3.7, 6.79M). Compared to last year’s lone conference final Game 5, Heat-Celtics in the East, ratings fell a tick (from 3.3) viewership inched up from 6.24 million.
The Mavericks’ series-clinching rout was the least-watched game of the series, though only barely — dropping below Game 2 by a fraction of a percent (6.27M).
The full five-game Mavericks-Timberwolves series averaged a 3.4 and 6.74 million viewers across TNT and truTV, down 18% in ratings and 15% from last year’s four-game Lakers-Nuggets series (4.2, 7.90M). Compared to Warriors-Mavericks two years ago, ratings dipped 5% and viewership was flat compared to a 3.6 and 6.74 million.
Compared to last year’s TNT conference final, the seven-game Heat-Celtics series, ratings and viewership fell 9% from a 3.8 and 7.42 million.
Entering the NBA Finals, NBA playoff games are averaging a 2.2 and 4.10 million across ABC, ESPN, TNT/truTV and NBA TV — down 11% in ratings and 13% in viewership from last year (2.5, 4.71M) and down a tick and 2% respectively from 2022 (2.3, 4.19M). Playoff viewership had been trending ahead of 2022 until the conference finals, which at nine total games were the shortest since 2017.
NBA Western Conference Finals ratings, viewership, past 30 years
