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Game 7 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets on Wednesday drew an audience of 4.11 million viewers, making it the most-watched NBA game since the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers contest on Jan. 31.
The matchup, which saw the Rockets escape with a narrow 104-102 victory, was the fifth most-viewed game of the 2019-20 season and drew the largest audience for a cable sports program since the NFL Draft on ESPN on April 23, according to Nielsen.
On Wednesday, projected first-round pick Cole Anthony called out President Donald Trump regarding a false claim that the NBA ratings have seen a drastic decline because fans are “tired” of watching due to the political stances the league has made in recent weeks.
NBA playoff games were the most-viewed program on all 14 nights of first-round coverage among the key demographic of men 18-49. Since the start of summer on June 20, NBA games represent 42 of the 50 most-viewed sports programs among adults 18-49.
Additionally, Game 7 on Tuesday night between the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz drew 3,385,000 viewers on ABC and was the most-watched program on the evening in every key adult and male demographic on television.
🏀ESPN telecast of the @HoustonRockets victory over the @OKCThunder in Game 7 was the most-watched 2020 #NBAPlayoffs game so far.
đź“şIt drew an average of 4.1 million viewers on ESPN, according to Nielsen, helping propel ESPN to win the night in all key Adult and Male demos. pic.twitter.com/0XinEh8ltp
— Ben Cafardo (@Ben_ESPN) September 3, 2020
The summer months present challenges for networks as TV consumption is down 14% compared to the rest of the year. The NBA still managed to see large viewership numbers in the first round despite games being held in condensed TV windows and at unusual times of the day.
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