TV ratings for the NBA are still failing and the clinching game for most woke team of all, the L.A. Lakers, was the lowest rated game of their series.
The leagues’ last slate of playoff games were nearly all down a few percentage points from the previous week’s games. Worse, they were off double-digits from last year.
One of the worst showings was the L.A. Lakers’ series-clinching win which ended up being the least watched game of the series slipping one percent in the ratings over Game 2, according to Sports Media Watch.
The site also noted that NASCAR trounced LeBron and the Lakers Game 5 ratings, with NASCAR finishing “comfortably ahead at a 2.4 and 3.87 million,” SMW reported.
In specific games, Saturday’s Blazers-Lakers game earned a 1.8 rating with 2.92 million viewers on TNT. That was down in ratings and a one percent loss in viewership from Game 4 five nights earlier (1.9, 2.98M).
Compared to the playoffs in 2019, it was down 18 percent in the ratings and 16 percent in viewership.
On Sunday, the Clippers-Mavericks Game 6 lost a tick in the ratings and five percent in viewers with a 1.5 and 2.32 million on ESPN. But compared to the comparable game last year, it was way down. In 2019, Game 1 of Rockets-Warriors on ABC averaged a 4.5 and 7.26 million.
Even the most watched game on Sunday, the Nuggets-Jazz Game 6, averaged a 1.2 and 1.98 million on TNT. But that was not anything special compared to last week with flat ratings and only a seven percent gain in viewers.
Sunday evening’s Celtics-Raptors game was also way off over last year. The game averaged a 1.1 and 1.68 million on ESPN, but last year the numbers for the Celtics-Bucks game came in at 2.8 and 4.20 million on ABC.
Even the most watched game was also way down over last year.
The Thunder-Rockets Game 5 averaged a 1.3 and 2.14 million, SMW said. Ratings and viewership jumped 59 percent and 80 percent respectively over Game 4 (0.8, 1.19M). But it was still a loss compared to last year, off 35 percent in ratings and 30 percent in viewers from Game 1 of a Sixers-Raptors semifinal (1.95, 3.08M).
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