The highest-profile NBA playoff series in some time finished on a high note in the ratings Friday night.
The six-game Lakers-Warriors second round NBA playoff series averaged 7.8 million viewers across ABC, ESPN and TNT, marking the largest audience for a semifinal series since a five-game Bulls-Knicks series on NBC and TNT in 1996 (11.18M). Outside of the NBA Finals, it ranks as the most-watched playoff series in any round since the 2018 conference finals (Warriors-Rockets: 9.4M; Cavaliers-Celtics: 8.4M).
Friday’s Game 6 averaged a series-high 4.3 rating and 8.64 million viewers on ESPN, up 31% in ratings and 38% in viewership from Grizzlies-Warriors last year (3.3, 6.28M) and the most-watched first or second round playoff game on cable in 13 years — since the final game of LeBron James’ first run with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010 (Cavaliers-Celtics Game 6: 8.98M).
The previous high over that span was 8.15 million for a Lakers-Thunder Game 5 clincher on TNT in 2012.
Across all networks, the Lakers’ series-clinching win ranks second only to Warriors-Kings Game 7 on ABC in the first round (9.84M) as the most-watched early round game since 2011 (Lakers-Mavericks Game 4: 8.89M).
With the Lakers maintaining a double-digit lead for the entire second half, viewership peaked an hour into the game at 9.3 million from 11-11:15 PM ET.
All six games of the Lakers-Warriors series rank among the ten most-watched early round games in the past decade. The full top ten is comprised of games from the past two seasons, with Golden State having played in nine. As with all multi-year highs, keep in mind that out-of-home viewing was not included in Nielsen final nationals prior to three years ago.
Top first or second round NBA playoff audiences, past decade
Earlier Friday, Knicks-Heat Game 6 averaged a series-high 5.44 million — down 2% from Celtics-Bucks last year (5.53M). The final four games of the series declined from last year’s equivalent windows, each of which pit the Celtics against the Bucks.
As usual, the NBA delivered the top two programs on all of television Friday night in adults 18-49, 18-34 and 25-54, with Warriors-Lakers dominant at a 3.15, 2.7 and 3.4 respectively. In adults 18-34, it was television’s highest rated program since the NCAA men’s basketball national championship (2.9).
Warriors-Lakers also scored the largest audience of the day overall, marking the second time that it delivered television’s top audience of an entire day and the sixth time in as many games that it won the night in primetime.
(Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 5.15)
