during game two of the Western Conference Finals of the 2015 NBA PLayoffs at ORACLE Arena on May 21, 2015 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement.
2015By Joe Lucia on

Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals between the Warriors and Rockets drew a 5.6 overnight for ESPN, up 47% from Game 2 of ESPN’s last Western Conference Finals, Spurs-Grizzlies in 2013. It was also up 27% from TNT’s broadcast of Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and Thunder last season.

The game pulled in a 15.9 rating in both the San Francisco and Houston markets, ranking second and fifth respectively among the highest-rated non-Finals NBA games in each market.

The final ratings and viewership numbers for Game 1 were also up from the previous two Western Conference Finals, drawing a 4.4 rating and 6.8 million viewers. Those numbers were good enough to beat 2014 by 10% in ratings and 8% in viewership and top 2013 by 42% in ratings and 41% in viewership.

All in all, not a bad start for the NBA, but the lack of any Conference Finals games on network TV could limit the possible ceiling for the audience. All seven games of the series will air on ESPN, while the full run of the NBA Finals will air on network television in primetime.

[ESPN]

About Joe Lucia

I hate your favorite team. I also sort of hate most of my favorite teams.

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