A thriller between the Lakers and Timberwolves scored one of the largest opening round NBA playoff audiences since the current media rights deal began in 2002.
Sunday’s Lakers-Timberwolves first round NBA playoff Game 4 averaged 7.35 million viewers on ABC, up 32% from Clippers-Mavericks last year and behind only Games 4 and 7 of Warriors-Kings two years ago (7.52 and 9.84 million) as the most-watched first round game under the current media rights deal, which began in 2002.
(Keep in mind Nielsen did not begin including out-of-home viewing in its estimates until 2020, meaning that games like Warriors-Rockets Game 4 in 2016 — which averaged 7.24 million — would likely rank higher all things being equal.)
The Timberwolves’ narrow win, which peaked with 10.27 million in the 6:30 PM ET quarter-hour, was the most-watched first round game to ever involve LeBron James. The previous high was 6.84 million for a Pacers-Cavaliers Game 7 in 2018, which would likely rank higher had out-of-home viewing been included then.
Most-watched first round NBA playoff games since 2002
Game 4 delivered the second-largest audience of the NBA season, with the top spot still belonging to Lakers-Warriors on ABC and ESPN Christmas Day (7.91M). Game 3 of the series on Friday night averaged 3.5 million on ESPN, up 30% from Timberwolves-Suns a year ago (2.70M).
Earlier Sunday, ABC averaged 3.90 million for Knicks-Pistons Game 4 — down 16% from Knicks-Sixers last year (4.65M) and also down from Cavaliers-Knicks two years ago (3.98M). Game 3 last Thursday drew 2.28 million on TNT opposite the NFL Draft, down 13% from Knicks-Sixers in the same window last year (2.62M).
In primetime, TNT averaged 3.78 million for Celtics-Magic and 2.74 million for Bucks-Pacers — up 10% and down 24% respectively from last year (Bucks-Pacers: 3.45M; Timberwolves-Suns: 3.62M). Airing in overlapping windows Friday night, the same two series averaged 2.11 million and 389,000 respectively, with the former on ESPN and the latter on ESPNU and NBA TV. In the same window last year, Clippers-Mavericks drew 3.34 million in an unopposed ESPN window.
On Saturday, Rockets-Warriors Game 3 averaged 5.08 million on ABC — down 10% from Nuggets-Lakers last year (5.67M). The last time the Warriors made the playoffs two years ago, their Game 3 against the Kings averaged 4.12 million in a late night TNT window.
Earlier in the day on TNT, Nuggets-Clippers averaged 3.39 million — up 11% from Celtics-Heat last year (3.04M) — preceded by Thunder-Grizzlies at 1.98 million (-2%) and Cavaliers-Heat at 1.15 million (-19%). Going back to last Thursday, Nuggets-Clippers Game 3 averaged 439,000 on NBA TV, up 74% from Cavaliers-Magic in an earlier slot last year (252K), while Thunder-Grizzlies drew 1.90 million on TNT — down 46% from the year-ago Nuggets-Lakers game (3.52M).
Through the weekend, NBA playoff games were averaging 4.45 million viewers on ESPN/ABC — the networks’ highest average at this point of the postseason since acquiring rights and up 13% over last year. Games on TNT were averaging 2.98 million, down slightly from a year ago. Keep in mind that ESPN/ABC has had six exclusive windows (all on ABC) and TNT none thus far, plus TNT had a combined five games from the two lopsided #1 vs. #8 series (six including Monday’s 55-point Cleveland wipeout of Miami).
