2023 NBA Finals Average 11.58M on ABC and ESPN2

(Image credit: ESPN)

NEW YORK—The first game of the NBA finals averaged 11,580,000 viewers across ABC and ESPN2 and peaked with 12,784,000 viewers in the 10:30 p.m. ET quarter hour, according to Nielsen data supplied by ESPN.

ABC and ESPN also reported that The Denver Nuggets victory over the Miami Heat in Game 1 more than tripled its competition on television for the night of June 1, easily winning the night in viewership and in all key demographics, including P18-34; P18-49; P25-54; M18-34, M18-49 and M25-54.

Game 1 on ABC delivered an average audience of 11,036,000 viewers, while the NBA in Stephen A’s World alternate presentation on ESPN2 added 544,000 viewers to the total audience.

Top five local markets were: Denver with a 19.9 market rating, followed by Miami (13.5), West Palm Beach (11.8), Richmond-Petersburg (9.7) and San Antonio (8.7).

George Winslow is the senior content producer for TV Tech. He has written about the television, media and technology industries for nearly 30 years for such publications as Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and TV Tech. Over the years, he has edited a number of magazines, including Multichannel News International and World Screen, and moderated panels at such major industry events as NAB and MIP TV. He has published two books and dozens of encyclopedia articles on such subjects as the media, New York City history and economics.