Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics averaged a 6.4 rating with 11.9 million viewers across ABC and ESPN2.
There is dispute as to whether that number represents a preliminary or final. Preliminary figures do not include out-of-home viewing, which would lead to an increase in numbers.
The current Game 1 numbers tops only the previous two years for the lowest ratings in a series opener since 2007.
The ratings do represent a 42% increase from Game 1 of last year. The number also represents the second highest rating for a game since the league returned from its pandemic-related hiatus two years ago, behind last year’s Game 6.
Prior to 2019, 29 straight Finals games averaged at least a 9.0 rating, with 56 straight games averaging above 14 million viewers.