A Western Conference Finals few would have expected at the start of the season posted a solid rebound over last year’s “bubble.”
The six-game Suns-Clippers NBA Western Conference Finals averaged 5.38 million viewers across ESPN and ABC, up 19% from last fall’s Lakers-Nuggets series in the “bubble” on TNT, but down 29% from Warriors-Blazers on ESPN in 2019. Viewership increased a third from ESPN’s conference final in the “bubble,” Heat-Celtics.
Wednesday’s Game 6 averaged 5.86 million viewers on ESPN, marking the third-largest audience of the postseason behind only a pair of second round Game 7s on TNT (Bucks-Nets: 6.91M; Hawks-Sixers: 6.16M). The Suns’ series-clinching win ranks fourth for the season overall, behind the aforementioned Game 7s and Mavericks-Lakers on ABC Christmas Day (7.01M).
Finals-bound Phoenix has played in ten of the 20 most-watched games this postseason, owing both to its long playoff run and to its high-profile first round opponent (the Lakers).
Compared to the previous Western Conference Finals Game 6 — Golden State’s season-saving comeback win over Houston in 2018 — viewership fell 36% from 9.47 million. Compared to ESPN’s previous conference final Game 6, Heat-Celtics in the “bubble” opposite Sunday Night Football last fall, viewership jumped 70% from 3.45 million.
Through the West Finals, ESPN/ABC has averaged 3.96 million viewers for NBA playoff coverage — up 34% from last year. Figures include Play-in Tournament games.
In other action, Tuesday’s Bucks-Hawks Eastern Conference Finals Game 4 averaged 4.63 million viewers on TNT, per John Ourand of Sports Business Journal — up 3% from Celtics-Heat in the “bubble” (4.48M) and down 13% from Bucks-Raptors in 2019 (5.30M). Hawks star Trae Young missed the game and Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo left in the third quarter.
Thursday’s Game 5, which lacked both Young and Antetokounmpo, was slightly higher at 4.84 million — up 11% from Heat-Celtics (4.37M) but down 22% from Raptors-Bucks (6.23M).
