Ratings Roundup: ESPN Concludes NBA Finals With 12.4 Million Average Viewers During Game 6; NBC Sports Sees Most-Watched Final Round for East Coast U.S. Open in Eight Years By SVG Staff
Friday, June 24, 2022 - 6:45 am
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Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press releases and reports around the industry. In this week's edition, ESPN closes out 2022 NBA Finals averages 12,402,000 viewers in title-clinching Game 6 on ABC, NBC Sports delivers the most-watched final round for an East Coast U.S. Open since 2013, and more.
NBA Finals on ESPN and ABC Viewership for the 2022 NBA Finals on ABC was up 22% from last year, according to Nielsen. The six-game series averaged 12,402,000 viewers, making it the most-watched NBA Finals in three years.
The Golden State Warriors victory in Game 6 generated an average of nearly 14 million viewers (13,992,000), up 10% from last year's Game 6. The ABC broadcast peaked with 16,862,000 viewers at 11:15 p.m. ET. Game 6 viewership was 75% higher than its closest competition on television.
The 2022 NBA Finals on ABC delivered the highest share for the event in five years (since 2017). At an average of a 20.0 share, one in five viewers watching television on game nights were tuned into the NBA Finals on ABC.
Game 6 once again propelled ABC to win the night across all of television and in every key demographic, including M18-34, M18-49, M25-54, P18-34, P18-49 and P25-54. Furthermore, the six NBA Finals game broadcasts on ABC now rank as the six most-watched programs on television for June 2022.
Game 5 generated an average of 13,025,000 viewers as the Golden State Warriors took a 3-2 series lead against the Boston Celtics. The ABC broadcast was up 30% vs. last year's Game 5, according to Nielsen.
Last night's Game 5 peaked with 15,352,000 viewers at 11:15 p.m. ET and propelled ABC to win the night across all of television, including in every key demographic. The five most-watched programs of the month across all of television are each of the first five NBA Finals games.
Game 4 generated an average of 12.1 million viewers for Stephen Curry's historic performance against the Boston Celtics on Friday. The ABC broadcast was up 15% vs. last year's Game 4, according to Nielsen.
Friday's Game 4 peaked with 15 million viewers and propelled ABC to win the night across all of television, including in every key demographic. The four most-watched programs of the month across all of television are each of the first four NBA Finals games.
Game 3 averaged 11,522,000 viewers and peaked with 13,245,000 viewers at 11:15 p.m. ET. The game was up 25% from Game 3 in 2021 and propelled ABC to win the night across all of television once again, including in every key demographic: M18-34, M18-49, M25-54, P18-34, P18-49 and P25-54.
Game 2 averaged nearly 12 million viewers (11,911,000) on ABC. It was up 24% from last year's Game 2, according to Nielsen. The game's audience peaked with 14,144,000 viewers at 9:45 p.m. ET. Due to the strength of Game 2, ABC once again won the night across all of television - broadcast and cable - and in every key demo, including P18-34, P18-49, P25-54, M18-34, M18-49 and M25-54.
Game 1 averaged nearly 12 million viewers (11,901,000) across ABC and ESPN2. It was up 37% from last year's Game 1, according to Nielsen. The game peaked with nearly 13 million viewers (12,963,000) at 10:45 p.m. ET and was the most-watched NBA Finals Game 1 in three years. It also propelled ABC to win the night across all of television - broadcast and cable - and in every key demo, including P18-34, P18-49, P25-54, M18-34, M18-49 and M25-54.
The broadcast generated a 19.6 rating in the Boston market, making it the highest-rated NBA game in the market since Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2018. In the San Francisco market, Game 1 drew a 22.5 rating, making it the highest-rated NBA game in the market since Game 6 of the NBA Finals in 2019.
NBC Sports Delivers Most-Watched Final Round for East Coast U.S. Open Since 2013 NBC Sports' presentation of the final round of the 2022 U.S. Open from The Country Club in Brookline, MA, on Sunday averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 5.41 million viewers - marking the most-watched final round of an East Coast U.S. Open since 2013 and up 65% from the prior East Coast-based U.S. Open (3.3 million, Winged Foot, 9/20/20). Sunday's final round was also the most-watched sporting event of the weekend.
Sunday's final round - which capped more than 45 hours of live championship coverage across NBC, Peacock, and USA Network - was highlighted by Matthew Fitzpatrick, Will Zalatoris and Scottie Scheffler putting for the chance to win or tie for the lead on the 18th hole. Fitzpatrick secured his first major victory with a two-putt par after escaping a fairway bunker with his second shot.
Additional viewership highlights from NBC Sports' 2022 U.S. Open coverage:
Viewership of Sunday's final round peaked at 9.2 million viewers from 6:30-6:45 p.m. ET on NBC, as Fitzpatrick, Zalatoris, and Scheffler played the final holes. The peak viewership is the highest for a U.S. Open played in the east since 2016.
Led by Peacock, the 2022 U.S. Open is the most-streamed golf event in NBC Sports history, totaling 244 million minutes* for all four rounds, up 74% vs. last year's U.S. Open. Sunday's final round delivered an Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 148,000 viewers, nearly four times greater than both 2021 (Torrey Pines) and 2020 (Winged Foot).
Saturday's third-round coverage (Noon-8:03 p.m. ET) delivered a TAD of 3.6 million viewers across NBC and Peacock - up 16% from same round for the prior East Coast U.S. Open (3.1 million, Winged Foot, 9/19/20).
Featuring live U.S. Open coverage for the
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Ratings Roundup: ESPN Concludes NBA Finals With 12.4 Million Average Viewers During Game 6; NBC Sports Sees Most-Watched Final Round for East Coast U.S. Open in Eight Years By SVG Staff 
