The Lakers’ second-to-last game of the season earned the second-largest audience ever for a semifinal round NBA playoff game on ESPN.
Friday’s Lakers/Mavericks Game 3 drew a 4.7 U.S. rating and 7.658 million viewers on ESPN, up 74% in ratings and 80% in viewership from last year (PHX/SA G3: 2.7, 4.267M), and up 21% and 28%, respectively, from 2009 (LAL/HOU G3: 3.9, 5.952M).
The game ranks as the second-most viewed semifinal round NBA playoff game on ESPN since the network resumed airing games in the 2002-03 season. Only last year’s Cavaliers/Celtics Game 6 (8.983M) earned more viewers. The previous second-ranked game was Lakers/Rockets Game 6 in 2009 (7.352M).
Of note, Game 4 of the series earned a 6.5 overnight rating on ABC Sunday afternoon.
Also Friday night, Game 3 of the Bulls/Hawks series drew a 2.3 and 3.610 million viewers, down 4% in ratings and 3% in viewership from last year (CLE/BOS G3: 2.4, 3.710M), and flat and up 10%, respectively, from from 2009 (BOS/ORL G3: 2.3, 3.325M).
(Numbers from TV By the Numbers; ABC’s overnight from content.usatoday.com)
