The 2012 NBA Finals TV ratings started up vs. last season's game 1. The 6.9 adults 18-49 rating was up 6% vs. game 1 last season, and the average viewership of 16.2 million was up 7%. That's not quite the increase that a plurality of our polled readers expected, but there are at least 3 more games to come.
2012 NBA Finals TV Ratings & Viewership:
- Game 1: 16.2 million average viewers and 6.9 adults 18-49 rating (vs. 15.2 million, 6.5 adults 18-49 rating last year)
NBA Finals TV Ratings, 1974-2011
| Year | Net | Games | HH Rating | HH Share | Average HHs (million) | Average Viewers (million) | Teams |
| 2011 | ABC | 6 | 10.1 | 11.725 | 17.28 | Heat/Mavericks | |
| 2010 | ABC | 7 | 10.6 | 18.144 | Lakers/Celtics | ||
| 2009 | ABC | 5 | 8.4 | 9.642 | 14.347 | Lakers/Orlando | |
| 2008 | ABC | 6 | 9.3 | 17 | 10.530 | 14.941 | Boston/Lakers |
| 2007 | ABC | 4 | 6.2 | 11 | 6.912 | 9.289 | San Antonio/Cleveland |
| 2006 | ABC | 6 | 8.5 | 15 | 9.332 | 12.972 | Miami/Dallas |
| 2005 | ABC | 7 | 8.2 | 15 | 8.951 | 12.544 | San Antonio/Detroit |
| 2004 | ABC | 5 | 11.5 | 20 | 12.451 | 17.942 | Detroit/Lakers |
| 2003 | ABC | 6 | 6.5 | 12 | 6.955 | 9.864 | San Antonio/New Jersey |
| 2002 | NBC | 4 | 10.2 | 19 | 10.752 | 15.678 | Lakers/New Jersey |
| 2001 | NBC | 5 | 12.1 | 23 | 12.390 | 18.996 | Lakers/Philadelphia |
| 2000 | NBC | 6 | 11.6 | 21 | 11.677 | 17.402 | Lakers/Indiana |
| 1999 | NBC | 5 | 11.3 | 21 | 11.205 | 16.014 | San Antonio/New York |
| 1998 | NBC | 6 | 18.7 | 33 | 18.336 | 29.040 | Chicago/Utah |
| 1997 | NBC | 6 | 16.8 | 30 | 16.291 | 25.586 | Chicago/Utah |
| 1996 | NBC | 6 | 16.7 | 31 | 16.019 | 24.858 | Chicago/Seattle |
| 1995 | NBC | 4 | 13.9 | 25 | 13.284 | 20.078 | Houston/Orlando |
| 1994 | NBC | 5 | 12.0 | 23 | 11.291 | 17.253 | Houston/New York |
| 1993 | NBC | 6 | 17.9 | 33 | 16.694 | 27.209 | Chicago/Phoenix |
| 1992 | NBC | 6 | 14.2 | 27 | 13.097 | 20.838 | Chicago/Portland |
| 1991 | NBC | 5 | 15.8 | 32 | 14.750 | 23.910 | Chicago/Lakers |
| 1990 | CBS | 5 | 12.3 | 25 | 11.320 | 17.190 | Detroit/Portland |
| 1989 | CBS | 4 | 15.1 | 30 | 13.620 | 21.260 | Detroit/Lakers |
| 1988 | CBS | 7 | 15.4 | 31 | 13.620 | 21.700 | Lakers/Detroit |
| 1987 | CBS | 6 | 16.7 | 35 | 14.600 | 24.120 | Lakers/Boston |
| 1986 | CBS | 6 | 14.1 | 31 | 14.430 | Boston/ Houston | |
| 1985 | CBS | 6 | 13.5 | 30 | Lakers/Boston | ||
| 1984 | CBS | 7 | 12.1 | 26 | Boston/Lakers | ||
| 1983 | CBS | 4 | 12.3 | 26 | Philadelphia/Lakers | ||
| 1982 | CBS | 6 | 13.0 | 28 | Lakers/Philadelphia | ||
| 1981 | CBS | 6 | 6.7 | 27 | Boston/Houston | ||
| 1980 | CBS | 6 | 8.0 | 29 | Lakers/Philadelphia | ||
| 1979 | CBS | 5 | 7.2 | 24 | Seattle/Washington | ||
| 1978 | CBS | 7 | 9.9 | 25 | Washington/Seattle | ||
| 1977 | CBS | 6 | 12.7 | 33 | Portland/Philadelphia | ||
| 1976 | CBS | 6 | 11.5 | 29 | Boston/Phoenix | ||
| 1975 | CBS | 4 | 10.1 | 28 | 6.920 | 11.380 | Golden State/Washington |
| 1974 | CBS | 7 | 13.5 | 32 | Boston/Milwaukee |
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2006-11 data is Live+SD, all previous years are Live viewing.
Of course we know that viewership and HH ratings have no bearing on the advertising revenue for ABC, but like most historical data from Nielsen we have, we lack the important adults 18-49 ratings.
Nielsen TV Ratings Data: ©2012 The Nielsen Company All Rights Reserved.
Bill –
One question. The figure reported in the final Tuesday ratings were for 9-11pm. Since the highest viewership is towards the end of the game, it would seem that the avg. numbers would be higher for the entire game.
Are the historical numbers only for primetime as well, or do they include the entire game?
I thought that game one would have gotten 17 million, but I do know that if Miami can actually make this competitive (which I highly doubt), it could hit over 20 million for a game 5, 6, and 7
@Gil- those numbers were for 9-11:46p, the label just didn’t get updated. it has been now.
“Are the historical numbers only for primetime as well, or do they include the entire game?”
All the numbers in this post are for entire games (and in the table they are averages for each series of entire games).
Do we have final overall rating yet? Did Game 1 crack 10.0?
“Do we have final overall rating yet? Did Game 1 crack 10.0?”
The household rating was a 9.9.
That’s a very good rating. If this series goes 7, it’ll flirt with 20 million avg
Question for Bill or Robert? Where does this rank among games 1′s for ABC? I know they took over the NBA finals in 2003
Sorry for the ? After your names
It was ABC’s best game 1 in viewers, but not sure where it ranks with 18-49.
@Robert Thank you sir
Spotted ratings says 2004 Game 1 (Pistons/Lakers) had 7.0 A18-49.
http://www.spottedratings.com/2012/06/spotted-ratings-tuesday-61212.html
Wiki says that 2004 game had 9.8 HH rating.
Then Monday’s game is No2 in A18-49 and No1 in HH (counting ABC only, since 2003).
National Boring Association=ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
What could hurt the NBA finals on Thursday and Sunday is the U.S. Open going on at the same time in San Francisco.
Sunday’s golf won’t end until about 9:30 p.m. Eastern time, and if Tiger is in the hunt, the NBA ratings will suffer.
I doubt golf can hurt NBA ratings
its sad that people are rooting against the nba..
get a life
It really is sad and pathetic. I love the NBA