TV Ratings Slump As NBA Playoff Viewership Fades In Game 2
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- In a satirical jab at the Cleveland Cavaliers' huge loss Sunday night against the Warriors, The Kicker announced that reruns of the Western Conference matchup between Oklahoma Thunder and Golden State will be shown instead of the remaining NBA Finals.
The article even imagines an apologetic NBA Commissioner Adam Silver saying, "We thoroughly respect the Cleveland Cavaliers, this series is way too difficult to watch."
True, the Warriors' Game 7 victory over OKC did draw the largest audience ever for an NBA game on cable TV. And, if Nielson ratings are any indication, viewership was, in fact, down by more than a million viewers for last Sunday's game.
The first game had 19.2 million viewers, but it dropped to 17.5 million in Game 2, according to the Nielsen company. In 2015, the second game had a bigger TV audience than the series opener.
Ratings could turn around, but if the Cavs are undermanned in Game 3 on Wednesday, and there is yet another blowout, viewership could continue to fade.