Sports Ratings Tracker

Last Thursday’s Thunder-Spurs NBA Western Conference Finals Game 6 averaged 11.59 million viewers on NBC across a Nielsen-measured linear audience (9.28M) and streaming viewership tracked by Adobe Analytics (2.32M), marking the largest audience for a conference final Game 6 since Lakers-Kings on NBC in 2002 (16.64M).

Note that changes in Nielsen methodology skew comparisons to past years, particularly those prior to the company including out-of-home viewing in its estimates in 2020.

The Spurs’ series-tying win increased 43% from last year’s lone conference final Game 6, Knicks-Pacers on TNT Sports (8.12M). (NBC’s position is that because Nielsen does not track its streaming viewership, its combined Nielsen + Adobe audience figures are comparable to the Nielsen-only figures of other networks.)

Thursday’s Pacers-Knicks NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 5 averaged 6.72 million viewers across TNT and truTV, marking the most-watched Game 5 of the ECF since Cavaliers-Celtics in 2018 (7.51M). Regardless of conference, it was the most-watched Game 5 at this point of the postseason since Mavericks-Warriors three years ago (6.79M).

For more on the numbers, see this article.

Wednesday’s Timberwolves-Thunder NBA Western Conference Finals Game 5 averaged 4.62 million viewers on ESPN, topping only Nuggets-Lakers Game 2 on an NFL Sunday in September 2020 (3.28M) as the least-watched WCF game since 2013 (Grizzlies-Spurs Game 2: 4.62M).

For more, see the following article.

Sunday’s Knicks-Pacers NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 averaged a 3.2 rating and 7.1 million viewers across TNT and truTV, marking the largest audience in a decade for Game 3 of the East Finals — since Hawks-Cavaliers on TNT in 2015 (7.76M) — and the second-largest of the playoffs.

Game 4 on Tuesday night averaged 6.7 million, marking the largest audience for an ECF Game 4 since Celtics-Cavaliers in 2018 (7.94M).

For more on the series, see this article.

Monday’s Thunder-Timberwolves NBA Western Conference Finals Game 4 averaged a 3.4 rating and 6.53 million viewers across ESPN (3.2, 6.16M) and an ESPN2 “InsightCast” (0.22, 378K), down 7 and 5 percent respectively from Timberwolves-Mavericks on TNT and truTV lat year (3.7, 6.87M), and easily the highest rated and most-watched game of the series to that point.

Game 3 on Saturday — a 42-point Minnesota rout — averaged a 2.6 and 5.26 million on ABC, down 26 and 27 percent respectively from Timberwolves-Mavericks on TNT and truTV last year (3.5, 7.25M).

For more on the WCF, see this article.

Sunday’s Knicks-Pacers NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 averaged 7.1 million viewers across TNT and truTV, marking the most-watched ECF Game 3 in a decade — since Hawks-Cavaliers on TNT in 2015 (7.8M).

The Knicks’ win increased 10% from last year’s Celtics-Pacers Game 3, which aired in a Saturday night window on ABC and averaged 6.5 million.

Compared to last year’s TNT Sports conference final, viewership actually declined 2% from Timberwolves-Mavericks Game 3 (7.25M).

Friday’s Knicks-Pacers NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 2 averaged 6.7 million viewers across TNT and truTV, up 19% from Celtics-Pacers on ESPN last year (5.64M) and the most-watched ECF Game 2 since 2018 (Cavaliers-Celtics: 8.42M).

Regardless of conference, it was the most-watched conference final Game 2 since Lakers-Nuggets on ESPN two years ago (7.66M) and the most-watched on TNT Sports since Mavericks-Warriors in 2022 (6.77M).

Compared to last year’s conference final Game 2 on TNT — Mavericks-Timberwolves — viewership increased 7% from 6.27 million.

Thursday’s Timberwolves-Thunder NBA Western Conference Finals Game 2 averaged a 2.7 rating and 5.16 million viewers on ESPN, down 14% in ratings and 18% in viewership from Mavericks-Timberwolves on TNT and truTV last year (3.2, 6.27M) and the least-watched conference final game in four years. For more on the numbers, see this article.

Wednesday’s Pacers-Knicks NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 averaged a 3.5 rating and 6.6 million viewers across TNT and truTV, flat in ratings and up 2% in viewership from Pacers-Celtics last year (3.5, 6.4M) and the most-watched Game 1 of an Eastern Conference Final since Cavaliers-Celtics on ABC in 2018 (7.24M).

Compared to last year’s conference final on TNT Sports, ratings and viewership fell 6 and 7 percent respectively from a 3.7 and 7.02 million for Mavericks-Timberwolves.

For more, see this article.

Tuesday’s Timberwolves-Thunder NBA Western Conference Finals Game 1 averaged a 2.9 rating and 5.36 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN2, down 22% in ratings and 24% in viewership from Mavericks-Timberwolves on TNT and truTV last year (3.7, 7.02M) and down 17% in both measures from last year’s conference final opener on the ESPN networks, Pacers-Celtics (3.5, 6.44M).

Oklahoma City’s easy win was the least-watched conference final opener since the COVID-delayed 2021 playoffs, when Clippers-Suns opened with 4.72 million.

For more on the Game 1 numbers, see this article.

Thursday’s Thunder-Nuggets second round NBA playoff Game 6 averaged 4.89 million viewers on ESPN, down 5% from the Timberwolves’ rout of the Nuggets last year (5.15M), but the most-watched of the series’ five games on cable. (Game 4 on ABC had 6.01 million.)

Wednesday’s Knicks-Celtics second round NBA playoff Game 5 averaged 5.46 million viewers across TNT and truTV, up 46% from Cavaliers-Celtics last year (3.73M). In the nightcap, the Timberwolves’ series-clinching win over the Warriors averaged 4.71 million — up 11% from Mavericks-Thunder a year ago (4.26M).

On Tuesday night, Nuggets-Thunder Game 5 drew 4.62 million — up 3% from Timberwolves-Nuggets a year ago (4.51M). Pacers-Cavaliers led in with 3.93 million, down 19% from last year’s Pacers-Knicks Game 5.

Rounding out the recent TNT slate, the Pacers’ Game 4 blowout of the Cavaliers averaged 4.04 million Sunday night — down 28% from Nuggets-Timberwolves last year (5.61M).

Saturday’s Timberwolves-Warriors second round NBA playoff Game 3 averaged 6.57 million viewers on ABC, up 17% from Celtics-Cavaliers last year (5.60M) and the fourth-largest audience of the playoffs.

Earlier in the day, the Celtics’ Game 3 blowout of the Knicks averaged 5.34 million, up 38% from Thunder-Mavericks a year ago (3.87M).

On Sunday, Thunder-Nuggets Game 4 averaged 6.01 million on ABC — up 19% from last year’s Knicks-Pacers game (5.03M).

Game 3 of that series drew 4.24 million on ESPN Friday night, down 19% from Nuggets-Timberwolves last year (5.21M). Cavaliers-Pacers led in with 3.91 million, donw 13% from the year-ago Knicks-Pacers (4.49M).

Tuesday’s Warriors-Timberwolves second round NBA playoff Game 1 averaged 5.10 million viewers across TNT and truTV, up 39% from Mavericks-Thunder last year (3.68M) and the most-watched game of round two thus far.

Earlier in the night, Pacers-Cavaliers Game 2 averaged 3.76 million — up 7% from Cavaliers-Celtics Game 1 a year ago (3.51M).

On Wednesday, Knicks-Celtics Game 2 averaged 4.60 million — somewhat surprisingly down 6% from Pacers-Knicks last year (4.90M), and also down from Game 1 on Monday (4.88M).

In the nightcap, Oklahoma City’s 43-point rout of Denver averaged 3.80 million. There was no comparable window last year.

Monday’s Knicks-Celtics second round NBA playoff Game 1 averaged 4.88 million viewers across TNT and truTV, followed by Nuggets-Thunder Game 1 at 4.79 million — up 2 and 3 percent respectively from last year’s doubleheader of Pacers-Knicks (4.77M) and Timberwolves-Nuggets (4.67M).

In the final NBA playoff games on NBA TV, Bucks-Pacers Game 5 averaged 773,000 viewers and Magic-Celtics Game 5 739,000 on Tuesday night — both up north of 80 percent from the network’s lone window on the comparable night last year (Magic-Cavaliers: 402K).

NBA TV averaged 631,000 viewers for its final postseason (five games), up 46% from last year and its most-watched playoffs since 2014. (Keep in mind the usual caveats regarding out-of-home viewing, which was not tracked in Nielsen estimates until 2020.)

Wednesday’s Timberwolves-Lakers first round NBA playoff Game 5 averaged 4.71 million viewers across TNT and truTV, up 48% from Mavericks-Clippers last year and the most-watched game of the postseason on cable.

Earlier in the night, Warriors-Rockets Game 5 averaged 3.48 million — up 22% from Heat-Celtics a year ago (2.86M).

On Tuesday, the same networks combined to average 2.91 million for Pistons-Knicks Game 5 — down 19% from Sixers-Knicks last year (3.59M). The Clippers-Nuggets nightcap followed with 2.86 million, up 2% from the year-ago Pacers Bucks Game 5 (2.81M).

Tuesday’s Timberwolves-Lakers first round NBA playoff Game 2 averaged 4.10 million viewers across TNT and truTV, up 42% from Mavericks-Clippers last year (2.88M) and the most-watched of the weeknight games thus far.

Earlier in the night, Grizzlies-Thunder averaged 2.25 million — down 25% from Suns-Timberwolves a year ago (2.90M). The concurrent Bucks-Pacers Game 2 on NBA TV averaged 696,000, up 25% from the same matchup in the same year-ago window (555K). It would be reasonable to assume some viewers opted for Bucks-Pacers in anticipation of another Oklahoma City blowout.

On Wednesday, Warriors-Rockets Game 2 averaged 3.58 million — up 18% from Pelicans-Thunder a year ago (3.02M). The last time Golden State made the playoffs two years ago, their Game 2 against Sacramento averaged 4.32 million.

Magic-Celtics Game 2 led in with 2.55 million, down 18% from Heat-Celtics last year (3.13M). Unlike last year, the early game aired opposite competing coverage on NBA TV as Heat-Cavaliers averaged 492,000.

Rounding out the early week slate, Clippers-Nuggets Game 2 averaged 3.47 million across TNT and truTV Monday night — down 18% from Lakers-Nuggets a year ago (4.25M). Pistons-Knicks led-in with 3.26 million, down 6% from Sixers-Knicks last year, which faced competition from a competing game on NBA TV.