ABC’s NBA Finals Game One Audience Up 45%

ABC No. 1 in Primetime Among Viewers, All Key Adult Demos

Last night’s opening game of the best-of-seven NBA Finals on ABC between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics averaged 13,384,000 viewers (P2+), an increase of 45 percent compared to last year (9,206,000 viewers for Cleveland at San Antonio).  The Lakers/Celtics game averaged an 8.7 rating, up 38 percent over last year’s 6.3 rating, and 9,813,000 households, an increase of 40 percent over 6,991,000 households in 2007.

The broadcast “won the night” among all television networks, averaging more homes and viewers than any other show, with ABC winning primetime overall among all networks.  The network marked its highest-rated Thursday among young men (Men 18-34 and Men 18-49) since September 2005.

The Lakers/Celtics broadcast was the network’s highest-rated and most-viewed NBA Finals Game 1 since Lakers/Detroit Pistons in 2004 (9.8 rating; 10,634,000 households).

Among key demos, the NBA led the competition among (demo impressions in parenthesis):

• Men 18-34 (2,312,000)
• Men 18-49 (4,604,000)
• Men 25-54 (4,582,000)
• Adults 18-34 (3,536,000)
• Adults 18-49 (7,087,000)
• Adults 25-54 (7,030,000)

Additionally, the ESPN.com NBA section generated nearly 5.7 million page views – an increase of 64 percent over the comparable day last year.   For all of yesterday through 3 p.m. ET today, the NBA section had over 7.9 million page views – almost 40 percent more than the first day and all of the following day of last year’s Finals.

Game 2 of the series will air on ABC Sunday with coverage starting with GMC NBA Countdown at 8:30 p.m. ET.  The games are also heard nationally on ESPN Radio.

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