Disney officials have to be happy as the current NBA contract with ESPN is ending and a new one is set to begin in 2016. The ESPN-produced 2015 Finals airing on ABC is setting records all over the place.
Game 5 between Cleveland and Golden State averaged the highest viewership of the series with over 20.5 million people watching. The peak viewership was in the last half-hour with 24.8 million viewers.
The Fast National rating for the game resulted in an 11.6. We should get a final rating later.
Locally, Cleveland scored a 42.5 rating which topped all metered markets. San Francisco set an all-time best for an NBA game on ABC with a 33.6 rating.
Through five games, this is the most-watched NBA Finals on ABC and is averaging 15.4 million viewers. This is on a pace to be the most watched Finals since 1998.
Here’s the announcement:
Most-Watched NBA Finals Ever on ABC through Five GamesGame 5 Averages More Than 20 Million Viewers; Broadcast Peaks with Audience of 24.8 Million
The 2015 NBA Finals, in which the Golden State Warriors lead the Cleveland Cavaliers 3-2, is the most-watched ever on ABC through five games, according to Fast Nationals from Nielsen. The series is averaging 19,215,000 viewers, which is up 25 percent from 15,373,000 viewers last year (Miami-San Antonio).
Sunday’s Game 5 averaged 20,511,000 viewers (P2+), which is up 15 percent from 17,859,000 viewers for last year’s Game 5. It is also the most-watched NBA Finals Game 5 in more than a decade. Last night’s ABC broadcast peaked with an audience of 24,840,000 viewers from 10:30-11 p.m. ET.
The NBA Finals propelled ABC to win the night for the 47th consecutive time across all of television (broadcast and cable) and across all key demos.
Game 5 on WatchESPN
NBA Finals Game 5 generated 741,600 unique viewers on WatchESPN, which is the second-highest ever for an NBA game on the platform. Additionally, WatchESPN saw an average minute audience of 198,300, which is the third-highest ever for an NBA game on the platform.
That is all.
