PHOENIX SUNS

Suns-Bucks NBA Finals averaging 9 million viewers through Game 3

Jul 13, 2021, 8:47 AM

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts after a dunk during the second half of Game 3 of...

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts after a dunk during the second half of Game 3 of basketball's NBA Finals against the Phoenix Suns, Sunday, July 11, 2021, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

(AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

The Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns have averaged 9 million viewers through the first three games of their NBA Finals matchup, per Nielsen television ratings.

That’s up 33% from a year ago.

Game 3, a 120-100 win for Milwaukee in its first home game of the series, registered a 27.2 rating in the local market and 23.1 in Phoenix.

The game peaked with 11.1 million viewers across the country tuning in from 6:45-7 p.m. in Arizona for the 5 p.m. tip on Sunday.

Nationally, Game 3’s 9 million average viewers was down from the Game 2 Suns win that averaged 9.4 million.

In Phoenix, Game 2 also posted the highest viewership of the three games with a 24.9 TV rating. Game 1 had a 23.7 market rating in the Valley.

Overall, viewership is up 33% from the first three games of the 2020 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers in the Disney bubble.

Game 4 of the Suns-Bucks series, which Phoenix leads 2-1, takes place at Fiserv Forum and will tip off Wednesday at 6 p.m. It will air on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.

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