ESPN drew record numbers for Lakers/Rockets Game 3.
The Lakers’ 108-94 win drew a 3.9 U.S. rating (4.5 cable) and 6 million viewers on ESPN Friday night, up 50% in ratings and 64% in viewership from a 2.6 (3.0 cable) and 3.6 million for Lakers/Jazz Game 3 last year.
The 6 million viewers is the most ever for a second-round NBA Playoff game on ESPN, and the most viewers for any telecast on ESPN in 2009.
The game drew a 12.2 in Houston and an 11.9 in Los Angeles. The 12.2 for Game 3 in Houston follows a 12.5 for Game 1 and a 14.4 for Game 2.
The first three games of Lakers/Rockets averaged a 3.8 U.S. rating on TNT and ESPN, up 36% from a 2.8 for the three comparable games last year. Surprisingly, overnight ratings for Game 4 on broadcast network ABC were down 15% from last year.
Source: ESPN
