It is rare that a first round sweep qualifies as a ratings hit, but Celtics-Nets ranks as easily the strongest draw thus far of a resurgent NBA Playoffs.
Saturday’s Celtics-Nets first round NBA playoff Game 3 averaged a 2.5 rating and 4.62 million viewers on ESPN, peaking at 5.88 million — marking the network’s most-watched first round playoff game in 12 years (2010 Lakers-Thunder Game 6: 4.83M). Monday’s clinching Game 4 averaged 3.83 million on TNT, the least-watched game of the series but still the eighth-largest audience of this year’s postseason.
Boston’s four-game sweep of Brooklyn accounts for half of the eight largest audiences this postseason.
All four games surged over the equivalent windows last year and in 2019. In addition to the previously-reported increases for Games 1 and 2, Game 3 doubled Sixers-Wizards last year (1.3, 2.24M*) and jumped 67% and 86% respectively from 2019 (Bucks-Pistons: 1.5, 2.48M). Game 4 viewership jumped more than a third from both last year (Sixers-Wizards: 2.79M*) and ’19 (Bucks-Pistons: 2.81M).
Through the first week of play — not including Monday’s games — the playoffs averaged 3.3 million viewers on TNT (+18%) and 552,000 on NBA TV (+38%), their most-watched postseasons in four and eight years respectively. An exact figure for ESPN/ABC was not immediately available, but viewership for the networks is said to be up 24% from last year and is presumably also at a multi-year high. NBA games have been television’s top show in adults 18-49 and 18-34 each night of the postseason.
While Nets-Celtics has been the biggest draw of the opening round, Sunday’s Warriors-Nuggets Game 4 ranks as the highest rated game thus far with a 3.2 and 5.86 million on ABC. Denver’s Game 4 win, which peaked with 7.83 million, averaged a slightly higher rating than Nets-Celtics Game 1 in the same window the previous Sunday (3.1). Nets-Celtics still ranks as easily the most-watched, with more than a million more viewers (6.90M).
Ratings and viewership outpaced Suns-Lakers opposite the Indy 500 last year (2.8, 5.38M*), but were no match for Warriors-Clippers in the same 2019 window (3.8, 6.29M). All four Warriors-Nuggets games have aired in the same windows as that Warriors-Clippers series, Golden State’s previous first round appearance. Compared to ’19, viewership declined for Games 1 and 4 on ABC but increased double-digits for Games 2 and 3 on TNT.
Elsewhere on ABC, Bucks-Bulls averaged a 2.1 and 3.57 million Sunday and a 1.2 and 1.93 million Friday night. Sunday’s Game 4 posted a double-digit increase over Knicks-Hawks opposite the Indy 500 last year (1.7, 3.14M*) but declined 13% and 7% respectively from 2019 (Celtics-Pacers: 2.4, 3.84M).
Friday’s Game 3 ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched NBA playoff game ever on broadcast television, with the caveat that it ‘co-existed’ with RSN feeds in the local markets (all other ABC playoff games are exclusive) and aired opposite competing playoff games on ESPN.
It was outdrawn head-to-head by both of ESPN’s games — Heat-Hawks (1.4, 2.52M) and Suns-Pelicans (1.8, 3.17M) — a first in the three years ABC has carried a Friday night first round window. Suns-Pelicans also outdrew Bucks-Bulls on Sunday, averaging a 2.1 and 3.77 million on TNT.
Suns-Pelicans has emerged as one of the better draws in the first round, accounting for two of the nine largest audiences thus far — joining Celtics-Nets and Warriors-Nuggets as the only series with multiple games in the top ten.
Grizzlies-Timberwolves has also been a healthy draw, with Game 4 scoring a 2.1 and 3.70 million on ESPN Saturday night following Celtics-Nets. All four games have increased from last year and 2019, with Game 4 up 36% in ratings and as much as 28% in viewership from last year (Jazz-Grizzlies: 1.5, 2.89M*) and 6% and 16% respectively from ’19 (Rockets-Jazz: 1.95, 3.19M).
Rounding out the weekend slate, Heat-Hawks scored a 1.4 (+10%) and 2.52 million (+13%*) on ESPN Friday and a 1.9 (+10%) and 3.49 million (+1%*) on TNT Sunday; Mavericks-Jazz drew a 1.7 (+46%) and 3.12 million (+45%*) Saturday and 3.19 million viewers Monday (+7%*), both on TNT; Sixers-Raptors drew a 1.2 (+35%) and 2.06 million (+28%*) on TNT Saturday and 575,000 on NBA TV Monday.
Most-watched 2022 NBA playoff games through 4/25
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 4.26 a, b; Turner Sports, ESPN PR]
