It was the closest game of the series, but Game 4 of the NBA Finals could not overcome the Friday Night Death Slot.
Game 4 of the Warriors/Cavaliers NBA Finals earned a 9.8 final rating and 16.6 million viewers on ABC Friday night, down 16% in ratings and 17% in viewership from the same matchup last year (11.7, 19.8M) but up 5% and 11%, respectively, from Spurs/Heat in 2014 (9.3, 15.0M), both of which aired on Thursdays. Figures do not include WatchESPN (300K) or ESPN Deportes.
The Warriors’ win, which peaked at 20.4 million in the fast-nationals, earned the third-largest audience for Game 4 of the NBA Finals since Lakers/Pistons in 2004 (20.3M) — trailing Thunder/Heat in 2012 (17.5M) and last year’s game over that span. The 9.7 rating was just the fifth-highest since 2004.
Since Game 1 scored 19.2 million viewers, the most for an NBA Finals opener since 1998, viewership dropped to 17.5 million for the Warriors’ 33-point Game 2 win and 16.5 million for the Cavaliers’ 30-point Game 3 win, before bouncing back slightly to 16.6 million on Friday. The last three games of the series have earned a lower rating and viewership than any of last year’s six games.
Game 4 was the first Friday night NBA Finals game since 2003, when Spurs/Nets had a 5.2 and 8.1 million (Game 2) and a 6.2 and 9.3 million (Game 5). It was just the third Friday game in the past 30 years to increase over the previous contest, edging Wednesday’s Game 3.
Among adults 18-49, Friday’s game had a 6.0 rating — down 21% from last year (7.6) and even with 2014. It tied 2014 as the lowest rated Game 4 in the demo since Celtics/Lakers in 2008 (5.6). The game also had a 5.4 in adults 18-34, down 27% from last year (7.4) and down 7% from 2014 (5.8). It was the lowest rated Game 4 in that demo since 2007, the second straight game that 18-34 ratings have hit a nine-year low.
Entering Monday’s likely clincher, the NBA Finals is averaging a 10.1 rating and 17.4 million viewers on ABC — down 8% in ratings and viewership from last year (11.0, 18.9M) but up 11% and 16%, respectively, from 2014 (9.1, 14.9M). Though down from last year, the series trails only last year as ABC’s most-watched NBA Finals through four games.
(Fri. numbers from ESPN, ESPN Media Zone, with additional info from ShowBuzz Daily, Programming Insider)
