NBA playoff ratings remain on the low side, but the league’s three-day stoppage of play does not seem to have made things worse.
Saturday’s Blazers-Lakers first round NBA playoff Game 5 averaged a 1.8 rating and 2.92 million viewers on TNT, down a tick in ratings and 1% in viewership from Game 4 five nights earlier (1.9, 2.98M).
Versus the comparable Saturday window in last year’s playoffs, a Game 7 between the Spurs and Nuggets, ratings fell 18% and viewership 16% (from 2.2, 3.49M).
The Lakers’ series-clinching win was the least-watched game of the series, though barely. Viewership slipped 1% from Game 2 (2.94M). It was still the sixth-most watched game of the playoffs, and seventh-most watched since play resumed July 30, with the Lakers in all-but-one of those games.
Head-to-head, Game 5 was no match for NBC’s NASCAR race at Daytona, which finished comfortably ahead at a 2.4 and 3.87 million. The NBA dominated in the young adult demographics, doubling NASCAR in adults 18-49 (1.2 to 0.6) and more-than-tripling the race in adults 18-34 (1.0 to 0.3). It also had a comparably modest 30% advantage in adults 25-54 (1.3 to 1.0).
Earlier Saturday evening, Thunder-Rockets Game 5 averaged a 1.3 and 2.14 million — the most-watched game of that series (pending results for Monday’s Game 6). Ratings and viewership jumped 59% and 80% respectively over Game 4, which aired on a Monday afternoon (0.8, 1.19M).
Versus the comparable window last year, ratings fell 35% and viewership 30% from Game 1 of a Sixers-Raptors semifinal (1.95, 3.08M). Keep in mind last year’s game aired exclusively on TNT.
Magic-Bucks Game 5 started the day off with a 0.8 and 1.22 million on ESPN, marking the second-most watched game of that series. Game 2, the only one to start after after 3:30 PM ET, had a 1.1 and 1.63 million.
As for Sunday’s games, Clippers-Mavericks Game 6 averaged a 1.5 and 2.32 million on ESPN — down a tick in ratings and 5% in viewership from Game 5 in primetime last Tuesday (1.6, 2.43M). The comparable window last year — Game 1 of Rockets-Warriors on ABC — averaged a 4.5 and 7.26 million.
The primetime Nuggets-Jazz Game 6 averaged a 1.2 and 1.98 million on TNT, marking the most-watched game of that series. Ratings were flat and viewership increased 7% from Game 5 last Tuesday evening (1.2, 1.85M).
Rounding out the weekend action, Game 1 of Celtics-Raptors averaged a 1.1 and 1.68 million on ESPN. In the comparable window last year, Celtics-Bucks Game 1 averaged a 2.8 and 4.20 million on ABC.
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 9.1]
