The NBA and NBC are touting viewership figures, leading to debate about the true picture of the league’s popularity.
NBC’s Viewership Claims
NBC posted on X that the Western Conference Finals are averaging 9.4 million viewers across NBC and Peacock. This, they claim, makes it the most-watched Western Conference Finals on record through three games.
The network also stated that Game 4 between the Thunder and Spurs delivered a total audience of 10.3 million viewers. They claim this makes it the most-watched Western Conference Finals Game 4 since 1999.
Earlier this postseason, the NBA claimed the playoffs were the highest-rated since 1993.
Misleading Ratings Discourse
The claim that Thunder-Spurs is the most-watched Western Conference Finals in 26 years is being questioned. It is the first conference finals series to air on NBC in 23 years. Every comparable series since has aired on cable, either TNT or ESPN.
Broadcast television reaches significantly more homes than cable. The current Western Conference Finals are averaging roughly two to three million more viewers than the Eastern Conference Finals. This is despite featuring two small-market franchises that historically struggle to draw national audiences.
Changes in Nielsen Measurement
Nielsen measures television audiences differently than it did the last time the NBA aired on NBC. In fact, Nielsen measures audiences differently than it did just a year ago.
Since September, Nielsen has implemented changes.