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NBA Finals Sees Its Game 1 Was Least-Watched Final Opener In 15 Years (Or not depending on which article you read)
Posted: Sun Jun 5, 2022 1:42 am
by Free Rider
https://deadline.com/2022/06/nba-finals-sees-game-1-least-watched-opener-15-years-1235038511/The Thursday night NBA Finals opener between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics was the least-watched Game 1 held in June since the San Antonio Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007, some 15 years ago.
Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch, reports that Game 1 drew a 6.3 average of 11.9 million viewers, topping only the previous two Finals, which were held at odd times of the year for the league because of the pandemic.
“Pending any potential out-of-home lift, the Celtics’ comeback win declined 19% in ratings and 11% in viewership from Warriors-Raptors Game 1 in 2019, the previous Finals to take place June (7.9, 13.38M),” Lewis wrote. “It currently ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched Finals game involving Curry (29 telecasts), falling below Game 4 of the 2019 series (7.6, 12.79M).”
Lewis blamed waning interest for the ratings dip.
Gotta say, I’m a bit surprised by this. I thought these two teams would generate more interest especially if Steph’s star power. Not sure whether the close game in game 1 will get more people watching or if the general disinterest is already baked in.
Edit: Turns out the headline of the article is complete B.S. A little more research shows that the ratings are actually up from the past couple of years.https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/tv-ratings-thursday-june-2-2022-1235158717/The opening of the 2022 NBA Finals scored for ABC.
Game one of the series, a 120-108 win for the Boston Celtics over the Golden State Warriors, drew 11.4 million viewers — the biggest audience for the series opener in three years, per preliminary Nielsen figures (The Hollywood Reporter received what were labeled as final ratings from two sources). It’s currently up up 33 percent from last year’s game, which averaged 8.56 million viewers.
The audience for Thursday’s game also surpassed that of any NBA Finals game — save the deciding game six last year — in 2020 and ’21, pending updates....
The ratings boost for Thursday’s game is in keeping with increases for the NBA as a whole this season. Regular season games had their highest average viewership (1.6 million) since the 2018-19 season, and each round of the playoffs also reached multi-year highs (with the caveat that prior to last season, Nielsen ratings didn’t include out of home viewing).
Having two of the league’s most recognizable teams — both of which play in top-10 media markets — likely helped tune-in Thursday. The NBA Finals are also back in their regular early June home after two years of pandemic-related delays. Last year’s Finals began on July 6, a month later than usual; the 2020 series was played in September and October.
The NBA telecast was far and away the most watched program in primetime Thursday. A rerun of Young Sheldon on CBS (3.86 million viewers) was a distant second, while the CBS News-produced Her Majesty the Queen: A Gayle King Special drew 3.13 million.
Re: NBA Finals Sees Its Game 1 Was Least-Watched Final Opener In 15 Years
Posted: Sun Jun 5, 2022 1:46 am
by FrobeBryant
No LeBron or Lakers so no one cares.
Re: NBA Finals Sees Its Game 1 Was Least-Watched Final Opener In 15 Years
Posted: Sun Jun 5, 2022 1:46 am
by SecondTake
Yeah this finals is hard to watch. The problem is that the celtics are unexciting and don't really have any big name star to attract viewership. GSWs best player is also a notoriously poor (by his standards) finals performer, so there's a bit of excitement lacking with this matchup
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Re: NBA Finals Sees Its Game 1 Was Least-Watched Final Opener In 15 Years
Posted: Sun Jun 5, 2022 1:47 am
by GusFring
Yeah I love gsw but admittedly I have no interest in this Celtics squad whatsoever
Re: NBA Finals Sees Its Game 1 Was Least-Watched Final Opener In 15 Years
Posted: Sun Jun 5, 2022 1:53 am
by payton2kemp
I wonder if the next tv deal will be as big as everyone is estimating. Should be interesting.
Re: NBA Finals Sees Its Game 1 Was Least-Watched Final Opener In 15 Years
Posted: Sun Jun 5, 2022 1:54 am
by Archerbro
FrobeBryant wrote:No LeBron or Lakers so no one cares.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_Finals_television_ratingsCtrl F: Lowest rated
2020 Finals Game 3 – 3.1
2020 Finals Game 2 – 3.6
2020 Finals Game 1 – 4.1
Fairly certain we (realgm posters) were the minority watching the bubble tournament. But this had pretty low ratings with the lakers and lebron
Re: NBA Finals Sees Its Game 1 Was Least-Watched Final Opener In 15 Years
Posted: Sun Jun 5, 2022 1:56 am
by hugepatsfan
Wait:
"Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch, reports that Game 1 drew a 6.3 average of 11.9 million viewers, topping only the previous two Finals, which were held at odd times of the year for the league because of the pandemic."
Sounds like ratings are up over the last two years?
Re: NBA Finals Sees Its Game 1 Was Least-Watched Final Opener In 15 Years
Posted: Sun Jun 5, 2022 1:57 am
by wade44
Too late a start time maybe? It was close to 9 o’clock eastern time when the game finally started and there’s people who have to get up early the next morning. I know I checked out halfway through the 3rd quarter
Re: NBA Finals Sees Its Game 1 Was Least-Watched Final Opener In 15 Years
Posted: Sun Jun 5, 2022 2:13 am
by Patsfan1081
Free Rider wrote:https://deadline.com/2022/06/nba-finals-sees-game-1-least-watched-opener-15-years-1235038511/The Thursday night NBA Finals opener between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics was the least-watched Game 1 held in June since the San Antonio Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007, some 15 years ago.
Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch, reports that Game 1 drew a 6.3 average of 11.9 million viewers, topping only the previous two Finals, which were held at odd times of the year for the league because of the pandemic.
“Pending any potential out-of-home lift, the Celtics’ comeback win declined 19% in ratings and 11% in viewership from Warriors-Raptors Game 1 in 2019, the previous Finals to take place June (7.9, 13.38M),” Lewis wrote. “It currently ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched Finals game involving Curry (29 telecasts), falling below Game 4 of the 2019 series (7.6, 12.79M).”
Lewis blamed waning interest for the ratings dip.
Gotta say, I’m a bit surprised by this. I thought these two teams would generate more interest especially if Steph’s star power. Not sure whether the close game in game 1 will get more people watching or if the general disinterest is already baked in.
This is a tad misleading….. It rated higher than the two previous seasons and doesnt account for the other numerous platforms used. There’s a big reason why ratings have dipped the previous years, cable isnt the only way you can watch the game anymore. Basketball is huge at the moment.
Re: NBA Finals Sees Its Game 1 Was Least-Watched Final Opener In 15 Years
Posted: Sun Jun 5, 2022 2:16 am
by DoctorX
I have never found the Warriors brand of basketball exciting to watch. I'm not too surprised by this.
Re: NBA Finals Sees Its Game 1 Was Least-Watched Final Opener In 15 Years
Posted: Sun Jun 5, 2022 2:17 am
by Patsfan1081
FrobeBryant wrote:No LeBron or Lakers so no one cares.
Lebron accounts for two of the lowest rated series ever, even before social media platforms.
Re: NBA Finals Sees Its Game 1 Was Least-Watched Final Opener In 15 Years
Posted: Sun Jun 5, 2022 2:32 am
by NBA4Lyfe
steph curry not bringing em in like he used to
the need to go up againist a villan to get ratings... ie harden/lebron
Re: NBA Finals Sees Its Game 1 Was Least-Watched Final Opener In 15 Years
Posted: Sun Jun 5, 2022 2:35 am
by FrobeBryant
Archerbro wrote:FrobeBryant wrote:No LeBron or Lakers so no one cares.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_Finals_television_ratingsCtrl F: Lowest rated
2020 Finals Game 3 – 3.1
2020 Finals Game 2 – 3.6
2020 Finals Game 1 – 4.1
Fairly certain we (realgm posters) were the minority watching the bubble tournament. But this had pretty low ratings with the lakers and lebron
Context matters and that was right smack during COVID when viewership suffered amongst all sports. Let’s be real.
Re: NBA Finals Sees Its Game 1 Was Least-Watched Final Opener In 15 Years
Posted: Sun Jun 5, 2022 2:45 am
by UcanUwill
Are those television ratings or it includes all the internet streaming services? I mean who is old enough here who still watches actual TV, I dont even have a TV, didnt have it for 14 years.
Re: NBA Finals Sees Its Game 1 Was Least-Watched Final Opener In 15 Years
Posted: Sun Jun 5, 2022 2:47 am
by TheLand13
hugepatsfan wrote:Wait:
"Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch, reports that Game 1 drew a 6.3 average of 11.9 million viewers, topping only the previous two Finals, which were held at odd times of the year for the league because of the pandemic."
Sounds like ratings are up over the last two years?
No no, it was the least watched finals OPENER. The openers for those two series were still higher than this one.
Re: NBA Finals Sees Its Game 1 Was Least-Watched Final Opener In 15 Years
Posted: Sun Jun 5, 2022 2:49 am
by AussieCeltic
Lowest in last 15 years…. If you don’t count the previous 2 years
Re: NBA Finals Sees Its Game 1 Was Least-Watched Final Opener In 15 Years
Posted: Sun Jun 5, 2022 2:50 am
by Down3223
Archerbro wrote:FrobeBryant wrote:No LeBron or Lakers so no one cares.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_Finals_television_ratingsCtrl F: Lowest rated
2020 Finals Game 3 – 3.1
2020 Finals Game 2 – 3.6
2020 Finals Game 1 – 4.1
Fairly certain we (realgm posters) were the minority watching the bubble tournament. But this had pretty low ratings with the lakers and lebron
That was in the middle the pandemic/riots....ratings everywhere were killed that summer/fall/winter and even into last year.
https://novacapsfans.com/2020/10/22/television-ratings-for-all-sports-are-down-but-experts-advise-dont-read-too-much-into-it-yet/
Re: NBA Finals Sees Its Game 1 Was Least-Watched Final Opener In 15 Years
Posted: Sun Jun 5, 2022 2:52 am
by hugepatsfan
TheLand13 wrote:hugepatsfan wrote:Wait:
"Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch, reports that Game 1 drew a 6.3 average of 11.9 million viewers, topping only the previous two Finals, which were held at odd times of the year for the league because of the pandemic."
Sounds like ratings are up over the last two years?
No no, it was the least watched finals OPENER. The openers for those two series were still higher than this one.
Then what did game 1 ratings top? It says game 1 "topped only the previous two Finals". I'm confused
Re: NBA Finals Sees Its Game 1 Was Least-Watched Final Opener In 15 Years
Posted: Sun Jun 5, 2022 2:53 am
by Triple M
I'm surprised after the ECF ratings were high for game 7.
Also as a Celtic fan I love that the Celtics aren't the loudest or arrogant teams like Minnesota or Phx was, we typically "all dancing in the video" Suge Knight voice but I wonder what a neutral perspective on the team is
Re: NBA Finals Sees Its Game 1 Was Least-Watched Final Opener In 15 Years
Posted: Sun Jun 5, 2022 2:58 am
by makubesu
At least with politics you can tune in to MSNBC to hear that it was the “highest rated opening in two years”, and then sure to Fox News to read the “lowest rated finals except the past two years” version. For the click bait sports media you can just spin **** however you choose and people lap it up.