Ratings dropped for the final game of the Celtics/Magic Eastern Conference Finals.
The Celtics’ Game 6 win over the Magic drew a 4.6 U.S. rating and 7.5 million viewers on ESPN Friday night, down 10% in ratings and 11% in viewership from Lakers/Nuggets Game 6 last year (5.1, 8.5 mil), but up 10% and 17%, respectively, from Celtics/Pistons Game 6 in ’08 (4.2, 6.4 mil).
Every game of the Celtics/Magic series had a decline in ratings and viewership, with the lone exception of Game 1 on ABC — which was even in ratings and down in viewership. The last four games of the series had double-digit declines.
Despite the lower numbers, Celtics/Magic ranks as the second-highest rated Conference Final ever on ESPN/ABC and the fifth-highest rated of the 16 Conference Finals since 2003 (East or West).
The 2010 NBA Conference Finals as a whole ranks as the second-highest rated since ’03, behind only last year.
Compared to other sports, this year’s Conference Finals finished about 1 million viewers short of last year’s MLB League Championship Series (appx. 7.5 million for the NBA, compared to 8.4 million for MLB).
Keep in mind that six of the eleven LCS games aired on broadcast, compared to one of twelve Conference Final games.
Ratings/Viewership For 2010 NBA Conference Finals
Fast national data for Lakers/Suns Game 6.
| Date | Game | # | Net | Rating | vs. ’09 | vs. ’08 | Viewers | vs. ’09 | vs. ’08 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun., 5/16/10 | Celtics 92 | 1 | ABC |
4.5
|
even
|
-21%
|
7,030
|
-6%
|
-19%
|
| Magic 88 | |||||||||
| Mon., 5/17/10 | Suns 107 | 1 | TNT |
4.4
|
—
|
—
|
7,112
|
—
|
—
|
| Lakers 128 | |||||||||
| Tue., 5/18/10 | Celtics 95 | 2 | ESPN |
4.6
|
-8%
|
24%
|
7,156
|
-12%
|
32%
|
| Magic 92 | |||||||||
| Wed., 5/19/10 | Suns 112 | 2 | TNT |
4.4
|
-4%
|
7%
|
7,004
|
-4%
|
13%
|
| Lakers 124 | |||||||||
| Sat., 5/22/10 | Magic 71 | 3 | ESPN |
3.7
|
-32%
|
even
|
6,023
|
-31%
|
10%
|
| Celtics 94 | |||||||||
| Sun., 5/23/10 | Lakers 109 | 3 | TNT |
5.0
|
-7%
|
35%
|
8,460
|
-6%
|
48%
|
| Suns 118 | |||||||||
| Mon., 5/24/10 | Magic 96 | 4 | ESPN |
4.9
|
-16%
|
23%
|
7,960
|
18%
|
31%
|
| Celtics 92 | |||||||||
| Tue., 5/25/10 | Lakers 106 | 4 | TNT |
4.9
|
-22%
|
2%
|
7,641
|
-24%
|
5%
|
| Suns 115 | |||||||||
| Wed., 5/26/10 | Celtics 92 | 5 | ESPN |
4.4
|
-21%
|
2%
|
6,835
|
-26%
|
6%
|
| Magic 113 | |||||||||
| Thu., 5/27/10 | Suns 101 | 5 | TNT |
5.3
|
-15%
|
15%
|
8,670
|
-13%
|
28%
|
| Lakers 103 | |||||||||
| Fri., 5/28/10 | Magic 84 | 6 | ESPN |
4.6
|
-10%
|
10%
|
7,538
|
-11%
|
17%
|
| Celtics 96 | |||||||||
| Sat., 5/29/10 | Lakers 111 | 6 | TNT |
4.8
|
-8%
|
—
|
8,154
|
-3%
|
—
|
| Suns 103 |
