NBA playoff viewership continues to surge over last year’s ratings disaster in the “bubble.”
Last Sunday’s Suns-Lakers Game 4 averaged 5.38 million viewers on ABC, up 63% from last year’s comparable game in the “bubble” (Clippers-Mavericks: 3.31M) but down 15% from 2019 (Warriors-Clippers: 6.29M).
The Suns’ win delivered the fourth-largest NBA audience of the current season, behind Mavericks-Lakers on Christmas (7.01M), the All-Star Game (5.94M) and Warriors-Lakers in the Play-in Tournament (5.62M).
Sunday’s game was the second-most watched sporting event of the holiday weekend, narrowly trailing the Indianapolis 500 on NBC earlier in the day (5.55M).
Airing opposite the Indy 500, the Knicks-Hawks lead-in averaged 3.14 million — up 41% from Celtics-Sixers in the “bubble” (2.23M) but down 18% from Celtics-Pacers in 2019 (3.84M). ESPN/ABC NBA playoff coverage is now averaging 3.23 million viewers, up 46% from the “bubble,” including Play-in games both this year and last.
Later Sunday, Nets-Celtics Game 4 averaged 3.47 million on TNT — up 139% from Raptors-Nets in the “bubble” (1.45M) and up 29% from Raptors-Magic in 2019 (2.69M). The Clippers-Mavericks nightcap drew 3.13 million, up 67% from the “bubble” (Nuggets-Jazz: 1.87M) and down 16% from 2019 (Blazers-Thunder: 3.74M).
On Saturday, Jazz-Grizzlies Game 3 drew 2.89 million on ESPN — down 10% from 2019 (Rockets-Jazz: 3.19M). Sixers-Wizards led in with 2.24 million, down 42% from Lakers-Blazers in the “bubble,” which aired on ABC (3.86M), and down 10% from 2019 (Bucks-Pistons: 2.48M).
Figures were not immediately available for TNT’s Saturday afternoon doubleheader of Heat-Bucks and Nuggets-Blazers.
Last Friday night, Nets-Celtics Game 3 pulled 2.93 million on ABC — up 8% from Celtics-Pacers on the network in 2019 (2.72M). Knicks-Hawks drew 2.24 million on ESPN, up 23% from the “bubble” (Celtics-Sixers: 1.81M) and up 37% from 2019 (Raptors-Magic: 1.63M).
The Clippers-Mavericks nightcap earned 2.63 million, up 16% from the same matchup in the “bubble” (2.27M) and up 4% from 2019 (Blazers-Thunder: 2.52M).
Finally, last Thursday’s Suns-Lakers Game 3 averaged 3.72 million — up 27% from Blazers-Lakers Game 2 in the “bubble” (2.94M) and up 12% from Warriors-Clippers in ’19 (3.32M).
Bucks-Heat drew 2.49 million earlier in the night, up 53% from the “bubble” (Magic-Bucks: 1.63M) but down 15% from ’19 (Sixers-Nets: 2.93M). Blazers-Nuggets chipped in 302,000 on NBA TV, down 9% from ’19 (Nuggets-Spurs: 332K).
Figures for games Monday through Wednesday were not immediately available.
