Tonight marks the last NBA Playoff game on cable this year, after two months of impressive ratings.
Eight of the ten most watched programs on cable for the month of May (April 28-May 25) were NBA Playoff games. The most watched program of the month was Game 7 of the Spurs/Hornets series, which drew 6.5 million viewers. TNT won the month of May in prime time, and saw its ratings increase 10% from last year. ESPN finished fourth, with ratings up 25%.
The last two games of the Lakers/Spurs Western Conference Finals on TNT drew the most viewers of any NBA games on cable this year. Game 4 on Tuesday drew a series high 7.2 million viewers on Tuesday, up 53% from 4.7 million for Pistons/Cavaliers last year. The deciding Game 5 drew 6.8 million viewers Thursday night, up 21% from 5.6 million viewers for the Cavaliers/Pistons double-overtime Game 5 last year.
The five-game West Finals averaged 6.3 million viewers on TNT, up 25% from 5.0 million viewers for the six-game Cavaliers/Pistons series last year.
NBA games have not only been dominating cable, but have also been competing with programs on broadcast. Game 5 of the Pistons/Celtics series on ESPN Wednesday night averaged 6.4 milion viewers, 60% higher than the 4 million viewers who watched Red Wings/Penguins Game 3 on NBC at the same time — despite the NBA airing on cable and hockey airing on broadcast. ESPN was the most viewed network on broadcast or cable among men 18-34 and 18-49. The game was the second most viewed NBA game ever on ESPN among households.
Through Game 5, ESPN is averaging 5.9 million viewers for its coverage of the East Finals, up 46% from 4.0 million viewers for coverage of the Spurs/Jazz series last year.
Conference Final viewership is also tracking ahead of 2006, when ESPN and TNT averaged 5.8 and 5.5 million viewers, respectively.
Viewership for the NBA Conference Finals.
5.4 mil: DET/BOS Gm 1 (Tue., 5/20, 8:30 PM ESPN); up 59% from UTA/SA Gm 2 ’07.
6.2 mil: SA/LAL Gm 1 (Wed., 5/21, 9 PM TNT); no game on comparable date in ’07.
5.7 mil: DET/BOS Gm 2 (Thu., 5/22, 8:30 PM ESPN); up 33% from CLE/DET Gm 2 in ’07.
5.5 mil: SA/LAL Gm 2 (Fri., 5/23, 9 PM TNT); no game on comparable date in ’07.
5.5 mil: BOS/DET Gm 3 (Sat., 5/24, 8:30 PM ABC); up 17% from SA/UTA Gm 3 in ’07.
5.7 mil: LAL/SA Gm 3 (Sun., 5/25, 8:30 PM TNT); up 30% from DET/CLE Gm 3 in ’07.
6.1 mil: BOS/DET Gm 4 (Mon., 5/26, 8:30 PM ESPN); up 33% from SA/UTA Gm 4 in ’07.
7.2 mil: LAL/SA Gm 4 (Tue., 5/27, 9 PM TNT); up 53% from DET/CLE Gm 4 in ’07.
6.4 mil: DET/BOS Gm 5 (Wed., 5/28, 8:30 PM ESPN); up 60% from UTA/SA Gm 5 in ’07.
6.8 mil: SA/LAL Gm 5 (Thu., 5/29, 9 PM TNT); up 21% from CLE/DET Gm 5 in ’07.
