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…
