Suns-Bucks viewership up 27% through 5 games vs. 2020 NBA Finals
Jul 20, 2021, 10:08 AM
Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns slam dunks the ball past Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks in the first half of game five of the NBA Finals at Footprint Center on July 17, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona.(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Phoenix Suns-Milwaukee Bucks NBA Finals viewership is up by 27% through five games compared to last year’s Los Angeles Lakers-Miami Heat championship series, according to ESPN PR.
Milwaukee defeated Phoenix in Game 5, 123-119, and drew in just over 9.5 million viewers.
The game peaked with 12.1 million viewers on Saturday night and won the night across all television in every key demographic.
Game 5 was also the first NBA Finals matchup on a Saturday since Game 3 of the 1981 Finals between the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets.
Saturday’s NBA Finals matchup was up 5% compared to Game 5 of the 2020 Finals series.
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However, this year’s Game 5 viewership is down by 53% compared to the 2019 Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors Finals fifth game, as that contest drew in 18.4 million people.
Through the first three Finals games, the NBA is averaging 9 million viewers per game.
In Game 4, 10.2 million people tuned in to the ABC broadcast.
Game 5 of the Finals is on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Fiserv Forum.
Catch all the action on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.
