Viewership was not too high by Game 7 standards, but the NBA’s lowest-profile first round series still delivered the top sports audience of Sunday, May 5.
Sunday’s Magic-Cavaliers first round NBA playoff Game 7 averaged a 2.4 rating and 4.32 million viewers on ABC, down from a Heat-Knicks second round Game 1 in the same window last year (2.9, 5.38M), but still the most-watched sporting event of the day. For more on first round NBA playoff viewership, see this page.
ABC set aside its usual late afternoon NBA window for the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, which drew a 1.7 and 3.07 million — the largest F1 audience ever on U.S. television and up 51% and 48% respectively from last year, when the race did not benefit from an NBA lead-in (1.0, 2.1M). (The F1 figures presented in the chart below include shoulder programming.)
In what is potentially a first, an F1 race attracted more viewers on American television than a NASCAR Cup Series race the same day. With the caveat that the race was delayed several hours due to rain, NASCAR from Kansas averaged a 1.3 and 2.30 million on FS1 — down a tick and 2% respectively from last year (1.4, 2.35M).
Shifting to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Golden Knights-Stars Game 7 in the first round averaged a combined 1.0 and 1.99 million across TBS and truTV — down a tick in ratings and 1% in viewership from Kraken-Avalanche last year (1.1, 2.02M), which had a considerable lead-in from Panthers-Bruins Game 7.
Hurricanes-Rangers opened the second round earlier in the day with a 0.9 and 1.99 million on ESPN, the largest cable audience on record for a second round opener. See this article for more on Stanley Cup playoff viewership.
The NHL led directly into Giants-Phillies on Sunday Night Baseball at a 0.9 and 1.68 million, flat in ratings and up 4% in viewership from Dodgers-Padres last year (0.9, 1.62M). Sunday Night Baseball is averaging 1.64 million viewers so far this season, up 16% from the same point last year (1.42M).
Further down the dial, final round coverage of the PGA Tour Byron Nelson tournament drew a 1.1 and 1.76 million — down 23% and 24% respectively from last year (1.4, 2.33M) and the tournament’s smallest final round audience in more than a decade. LIV Golf on CW chipped in a 0.13 and 198,000.
FOX scored the largest UFL audience since the season opener with a 0.7 and 1.22 million for San Antonio-DC. Only St. Louis-Michigan on the opening day of play averaged a larger audience (1.35M). Arlington-Michigan led in with a 0.51 and 929,000.
Telemundo scored a 0.24 and 412,000 for a Liverpool-Tottenham English Premier League match. English-language coverage aired on Peacock, for which there are no Nielsen-reported figures.
In college sports, ESPN2 scored a 0.19 and 338,000 for Oklahoma State-Oklahoma college softball, preceded by Texas A&M-Florida at a 0.11 and 181,000.
ESPN drew a 0.18 and 306,000 for the UCLA-USC NCAA women’s beach volleyball national championship — down 18% and 19% respectively from the same matchup last year (0.22, 380K).
Sunday, May 5 sports ratings
