The Indy 500 and F1 Monaco Grand Prix hit viewership highs on the biggest day in motorsports, but it was the NBA Western Conference Finals that took the checkered flag on Sunday, May 26.
Sunday’s Timberwolves-Mavericks NBA Western Conference Finals Game 3 averaged a combined 3.5 rating and 7.25 million viewers across TNT and truTV, down 19% and 14% respectively from Nuggets-Lakers on ABC last year. Compared to Heat-Celtics on TNT in the same Sunday night window last year — which did not coincide with Memorial Day weekend — ratings fell a tick but viewership increased 7% (from 6.81M).
The Mavericks’ win delivered the top sports audience of a day otherwise dominated by auto racing. (See this article for more on the NBA ratings.)
Placing second for the day, the rain-delayed Indianapolis 500 averaged a 2.5 and 5.02 million on NBC (5.31M including additional streaming viewership measured by Adobe Analytics) — the most-watched edition of the race in three years, but also the lowest rated ever (excluding the COVID-delayed 2020 edition).
Due to a four-hour rain delay, the 500 did not start until about 4:45 PM ET and overlapped for nearly two hours with the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 on FOX. NASCAR bore the brunt of the head-to-head, as its 1.7 and 3.10 million were the lowest for the Memorial Day weekend race in the 23 years it aired on FOX.
Rounding out the day in racing, the F1 Monaco Grand Prix averaged a 1.1 and 1.97 million on ABC — the largest live audience for the race and third-largest for any F1 race ever on U.S. television. (The ABC figure listed in the chart is for the entire telecast, including pre-race.)
Returning to playoff action, ABC averaged a 1.1 and 2.46 million for Game 3 of the NHL Eastern Conference Final (Rangers-Panthers) — up 28% in ratings and a whopping 60% in viewership from Hurricanes-Panthers on TNT last year (0.8, 1.54M). (Last year’s game did not coincide with Memorial Day weekend.)
Further down the dial, the second leg of the Liga MX Clausura final between Club America and Cruz Azul scored a 0.8 and 2.10 million on Univision, down from last year on Telemundo (1.0, 2.94M). (The first leg three nights earlier averaged a 0.8 and 1.60 million, also down from last year.)
Final round coverage of the PGA Tour Fort Worth tournament drew a 1.2 and 2.08 million, up a tick and 12% respectively from last year’s 1.1 and 1.85 million. ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball (Cubs-Cardinals) had a season-low 0.47 and 847,000, down sharply from Phillies-Braves a year ago (0.8, 1.47M). Regional UFL action on FOX drew a 0.48 and 800,000.
The NCAA softball super regionals topped out at a 0.40 and 776,000 for Texas A&M-Texas on ESPN2, followed by abbreviated coverage of LSU-Stanford at a 0.41 and 771,000 — the two largest super regional audiences ever on ESPN2. The overall record was set a day earlier by Alabama-Tennessee on ESPN. The complete super regionals averaged 519,000 viewers, up 3% from last year.
In college baseball, the LSU-Tennessee SEC title game averaged a 0.23 and 500,000 — the most-watched college baseball game of the year. The Duke-FSU ACC title led in with a 0.13 and 258,000 — placing third for the season — and the Nebraska-Penn State Big Ten final had a 0.05 and 103,000 on BTN.
Rounding out a busy day of college sports, the Boston College-Northwestern NCAA women’s lacrosse national championship drew a 0.18 and 327,000 on ESPN — up 3% from last year and the second-largest women’s lacrosse audience on record.
Finally, Stan Wawrinka’s win over Andy Murray topped the opening day of French Open tennis with a 0.14 and 222,000 on Tennis Channel.
Sunday, May 26 sports ratings
