Buoyed by a closer margin, Game 2 of the NBA Finals eked out an increase over the past two years and hit a five-year high.
Sunday’s Mavericks-Celtics NBA Finals Game 2 averaged a 6.2 rating and 12.31 million viewers on ABC, marking the most-watched Game 2 of the Finals since Warriors-Raptors in 2019 (13.89M). Viewership increased 3% from Heat-Nuggets last year and Celtics-Warriors in 2022, both of which averaged 11.91 million.
It took last year’s Finals until the clinching Game 5 before any game hit the 12 million mark. The 2022 Finals, a higher-profile series that featured Stephen Curry and the Warriors, did not hit the 12 million mark until Game 4.
Overall, Game 2 averaged the fifth-largest NBA audience since the league went on COVID hiatus nearly four years ago — trailing Games 5 and 6 of the 2022 series, last year’s Game 5 clincher and the clinching Game 6 in 2021. (It should be noted that prior to the COVID hiatus, 12 million would have been considered low for the Finals. Every Finals game from 2008-19 averaged more viewers than Game 2.)
The Celtics’ win, which was close in the final minutes, increased 8% in ratings and 12% in viewership over Thursday’s lopsided Game 1. Notably, the Game 2 peak was not only later than in Game 1 — which peaked in the first half — it was higher by 16% (vs. 12.11M).
Game 2 averaged a 3.8 rating in adults 18-49 and 4.3 in 25-54, both up a tick from last year and the highest since 2019. Ratings were flat in adults 18-34 at a 3.2, matching last year as the highest since 2019.
