The second round of the NBA Playoffs has been nothing to write home about on the court, but the numbers have been decent enough.
Saturday’s Warriors-Jazz NBA Playoffs Game 3 earned a 3.6 final rating and 5.9 million viewers on ABC, flat in ratings and up 1% in viewership from Warriors-Blazers last year (3.6, 5.8M) and up 16% and 20% respectively from Warriors-Grizzlies in 2015 (3.1, 4.9M).
In a turnaround from the overnights, Golden State’s win was the most-watched primetime playoff game on ABC, excluding the NBA Finals, since Sixers-Celtics Game 7 in 2012 (7.0M). Head-to-head, it topped the Penguins-Capitals NHL playoff game on NBC (2.4, 4.3M) and the Yankees-Cubs baseball game on FOX (1.4, 2.2M).
Game 4 of the series pulled 4.5 million on TNT Monday night, up 13% from Raptors-Heat in a similar timeslot last year (4.0M) but down 27% from last year’s Warriors-Blazers Game 4, which aired in a later window (6.2M). Ratings were not immediately available.
In other action, Cavaliers-Raptors Game 4 scored a 3.2 and 5.0 million on ABC Sunday afternoon — up a tick in ratings but down 3% in viewership from Cavs-Hawks last year (3.1, 5.2M) and down 27% in both measures from Cavs-Bulls in 2015 (4.4, 6.9M). It was ABC’s least-watched second round game involving LeBron James since Cavaliers-Hawks Game 3 in 2009 (5.04M to 4.96M).
Later in the night, Spurs-Rockets Game 4 had a 3.0 and 4.9 million on TNT — down 3% in ratings and viewership from Spurs-Thunder last year (3.1, 5.1M) and down 6% and 2% respectively from Rockets-Clippers in 2015 (3.2, 5.0M). Celtics-Wizards had a 2.8 and 4.6 million earlier in the night; there was no comparable window last year.
In adults 18-49, Spurs-Rockets was Sunday’s top television program (1.9) followed by Celtics-Wizards (1.8) and Cavs-Raptors (1.7). The NBA has taken the top spot in the demo on 14 of 24 nights of the playoffs, finishing second on both Saturday (1.9 to a 3.0 for the Kentucky Derby) and Monday (1.7 to a 1.9 for The Voice).
