A second-straight rout in the Warriors-Lakers series nonetheless delivered the NBA’s largest second round audience in 12 years.
Saturday’s Warriors-Lakers second round NBA playoff Game 3 averaged a 4.2 rating and 8.35 million viewers on ABC, up 30% in ratings and 37% in viewership from Grizzlies-Warriors last year (3.2, 6.10M) and the most-watched second round playoff game on any network in 12 years — since Lakers-Mavericks Game 4 on ABC in 2011 (8.89M).
The Lakers’ blowout win, which peaked with 9.73 million viewers from 10:30-10:45 PM ET, also delivered the largest Game 3 audience in the second round since Hawks-Knicks on NBC in 1999 (9.26M).
As with all multi-year highs, keep in mind that out-of-home viewing was not included in Nielsen final nationals prior to three years ago.
The first three games of Warriors-Lakers rank among the six most-watched early round playoff games since 2012. Viewership figures for Monday’s Game 4 on TNT, which went down to the final seconds, are expected later Tuesday.
In other weekend action, Celtics-Sixers Game 4 averaged a 2.7 and 5.10 million on ESPN Sunday afternoon — up 24% in ratings and 17% in viewership from Suns-Mavericks last year (2.2, 4.36M). The 76ers’ win, which peaked with 7.676 million viewers from 6:15-6:30 PM ET, trails only Heat-Knicks Game 1 on ABC (5.38M) as the most-watched Eastern Conference game of the playoffs.
Game 3 drew a 2.6 and 5.04 million on ESPN Friday night, up 26% and 31% respectively from Heat-Sixers a year ago (2.1, 3.83M).
The respective Nuggets-Suns nightcaps averaged a 2.5 and 4.72 million on TNT Sunday and a 2.5 and 4.63 million on ESPN Friday — up slightly from last year’s equivalent games (Heat-Sixers: 2.4, 4.63M; Suns-Mavericks: 2.4, 4.48M).
Knicks-Heat Game 3 brought up the rear with a 2.1 and 3.91 million on ABC Saturday afternoon — down 12% in ratings and 16% in viewership from last year (Celtics-Bucks: 2.4, 4.65M). In addition to being the lowest rated and least-watched game of the second round, Miami’s blowout win is also the only one of those to decline from last year.
The NBA swept the key young adult demographics of 18-49, 18-34 and 25-54 on both Friday and Sunday, but the Kentucky Derby kept the league from doing so on Saturday. Warriors-Lakers took top honors in 18-49 (2.5) and 18-34 (2.0), but the Derby won out in 25-54 (3.2) and cruised past the Knicks-Heat matinee in each of the key demos.
