The NBA Eastern Conference Finals was a solid draw for ESPN, but could not compare to previous series involving LeBron James.
The six-game Heat/Pacers NBA Eastern Conference Finals averaged a 4.5 U.S. rating and 7.2 million viewers on ESPN/ABC, up 45% in ratings and 48% in viewership from the four-game Grizzlies/Spurs series last year (3.1, 4.9M), but down 27% and 29%, respectively, from the seven-game Heat/Celtics series in 2012 (6.2, 10.1M). Last year’s seven-game Heat/Pacers series on TNT averaged a 5.2 and 8.4 million.
This year’s Heat/Pacers series ranks as the lowest rated and least-viewed conference final to involve LeBron James since Cavaliers/Pistons in 2007 (3.5, 5.0M). With that said, the series also ranks as the third-most viewed conference final ever on ESPN/ABC (12 series).
Game 1 was the top telecast of the series, with 7.8 million viewers on ABC. The top ESPN game was Game 2, which drew 7.5 million.
Friday’s clinching Game 6 drew 6.9 million on ESPN, down 38% from Heat/Celtics in 2012 (11.1M), and the second-least viewed game of the series. Game 6 of last year’s Heat/Pacers series on TNT drew 8.2 million. The game ranks as the second-least viewed clinching game of a conference final since 2008, ahead of only Spurs/Grizzlies Game 4 last year (5.2M).
(Series avg. from ESPN, Fri. numbers from TV By the Numbers)
