NBA Finals Game 1 TV ratings up from bubble, down from 2019
Jul 8, 2021, 9:31 AM | Updated: 9:31 am
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) looks to pass as Phoenix Suns forward Cameron Johnson (23) defends during the second half of Game 1 of basketball's NBA Finals, Tuesday, July 6, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
(AP Photo/Matt York)
Television ratings for Game 1 of the 2021 NBA Finals between the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns saw a sizeable uptick from a year ago.
Compared to Game 1 of last year’s Finals between the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers, viewership increased 13%, according to ESPN.
The 118-105 Suns win averaged 8.56 million viewers across the country and peaked around 10 million about two hours and 15 minutes into the game.
Locally in Phoenix, a 23.7 market rating was the highest since the 2000 championship opener between the Lakers and Indiana Pacers.
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While the ratings are up from a year ago, they are significantly lower compared to the 2019 and 2018 seasons.
The average was down 35% from a pre-pandemic Finals between the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors and 50% from the Warriors-Cavaliers championship matchup in 2018.
While some of that would suggest star power — LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant — matters, timing does as well. These early July Finals fall into the usual free agency time period, while the bubble Finals at Disney World in 2020 took place in late September and early October.
Game 2 of the Finals between the Bucks and Suns tips off at 6 p.m. Thursday and will air on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.
