The final game of the 2010 NBA Finals earned the largest audience for an NBA game since the end of the Chicago Bulls dynasty.
The Lakers’ Game 7 win over the Celtics drew a 15.6/27 final rating and 28.2 million viewers on ABC Thursday night, up 31% in ratings and 49% in viewership from Pistons/Spurs Game 7 in 2005 (11.9, 19.0 mil).
This marks the highest rated, most-viewed NBA game on any network since Bulls/Jazz Game 6 in 1998, topping the previous highs of 14.7 (Pacers/Lakers Game 6 in 2000) and 23.8 million viewers (Lakers/Kings Game 7 in 2002).
Additionally, this is easily the highest rated, most-viewed NBA game ever on ABC, topping the previous high of 13.8 and 21.8 million viewers for Lakers/Pistons Game 5 in 2004. This is the first time since that 2004 series that any NBA game has surpassed 20 million viewers.
Excluding the NFL and the Olympics, Thursday’s game stands as the second-highest rated, second-most viewed sporting event of 2010 — behind only the BCS National Championship Game in January (17.2, 30.8 mil).
Game 7 outdrew the USA/Canada Olympic Men’s Hockey Gold Medal Game (15.2, 27.6 mil), the Duke/Butler NCAA basketball championship game (14.2, 23.9 mil), the top game of the 2009 World Series (13.5, 22.8 mil), and the final round of The Masters (10.7, 16.7 mil).
The game drew more viewers than every Major League Baseball game since 2004 (BOS/STL Game 4, 28.8 mil) and every college basketball game since 1997 (AZ/KY, 28.4 mil).
Among adults 18-49, Game 7 drew a hefty 11.4 rating — up 50% from Game 7 in 2005 (7.6) and the highest rating for an NBA game in the demographic since Bulls/Jazz in ’98. The 11.4 tops the BCS National Championship Game (10.5), Duke/Butler (8.2) and the top game of the 2009 World Series (7.8).
Excluding the Olympics, Game 7 was the top summer television program in total viewers and adults 18-49 since 2000. The game helped ABC to its top summer Thursday night in primetime since 1991.
Despite the big numbers, Celtics/Lakers finished behind previous Game 7s in the NBA Finals. Knicks/Rockets Game 7 drew a 17.9 on NBC in 1994, Pistons/Lakers Game 7 drew a 21.2 on CBS in 1988, and Lakers/Celtics Game 7 drew a 19.3 rating on CBS in 1984.
Five Most-Viewed Sporting Events of 2010
Excludes the NFL and primetime Olympic telecasts.
| # | Date | Game/Event | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thu., 1/7/10 | BCS: Alabama/Texas | ABC |
17.2
|
30,776
|
| 2 | Thu., 6/17/10 | NBA: Celtics/Lakers Game 7 | ABC |
15.6
|
28,203
|
| 3 | Sun., 2/28/10 | Oly: USA/Canada | NBC |
15.2
|
27,600
|
| 4 | Fri., 1/1/10 | BCS: Ohio St./Oregon | ABC |
13.2
|
24,025
|
| 5 | Mon., 4/5/10 | NCAA BB: Duke/Butler | CBS |
14.2
|
23,994
|
Ratings/Viewership For Game 7 of the NBA Finals Since 1984
| Year | Date | Game | # | Net | Rating | Viewers | A18-49 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Thu., 6/17/10 | Celtics/Lakers | 7 | ABC |
15.6
|
28,203
|
11.4
|
| 2005 | Thu., 6/23/05 | Pistons/Spurs | 7 | ABC |
11.9
|
18,997
|
7.6
|
| 1994 | Wed., 6/21/94 | Knicks/Rockets | 7 | NBC |
17.9
|
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|
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|
| 1988 | Tue., 6/21/88 | Pistons/Lakers | 7 | CBS |
21.2
|
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|
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|
| 1984 | Tue., 6/12/84 | Lakers/Celtics | 7 | CBS |
19.3
|
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