The Golden State Warriors came one step closer to securing victory over the Boston Celtics during Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday, scoring a 3-2 series lead.
Unsurprisingly, the game reigned victorious in primetime, securing an impressive 4.0 rating in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic, as well as 13 million total viewers. The ABC broadcast of Game 5 was up 30% in viewers compared to last year’s Game 5, according to Nielsen.
Game 5 viewership was even higher than the 12.1 million people who tuned in for Game 4 on Friday (which marked a 15% increase from last year’s Game 4).
Through five games, viewership for the NBA Finals is averaging just over 12 million total viewers. That’s up 26% vs. 2021, making it the most-watched NBA Finals in three years.
Here’s how the rest of primetime shook out across the broadcast networks on Monday:
ABC was first in ratings with an average 2.9 rating in the key demo and in total viewers with an average of 9.8 million, according to official Nielsen numbers.
The network started turning up the heat about 30 minutes before the 9 p.m. tip off with a countdown to Game 5 that drew a 0.9 demo rating and 4 million total viewers.
CBS, NBC, and Fox tied for second in ratings with a 0.3 in the demo. CBS was second in total viewers with an average of 3.1 million.
CBS opted for reruns all night. First up was “The Neighborhood” with a 0.3 demo rating and 3.3 million total viewers at 8 p.m. At 8:30, “Bob Hearts Abishola” took home a 0.3 demo rating and 3 million total viewers. “NCIS” received a 0.2 demo rating and 3.4 million total viewers at 9, while “NCIS: Hawai’i” scored a 0.2 demo rating and 2.7 million total viewers at 10.
NBC was third in total viewers with an average of 2.6 million, and Fox was fourth with an average of 1.7 million total viewers.
On NBC, “American Ninja Warrior” aired to a 0.3 demo rating and 2.7 million total viewers at 8 p.m. At 10, “Weakest Link” earned a 0.3 demo rating and 2.4 million total viewers.
For Fox, “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” was first with a 0.3 demo rating and 1.8 million total viewers at 8 p.m. At 9, “Beat Shazam” drew a 0.3 demo rating and 1.6 million total viewers
The CW was fifth in ratings with an average 0.0 in the demo and in total viewers with an average of 376,000. “Roswell: New Mexico” had a 0.1 demo rating and 468,000 total viewers, while “In the Dark” got a 0.0 demo rating and 284,000 total viewers at 9.
Neither Fox nor The CW air primetime programming at 10 p.m.
Among the Spanish-language networks, Univision finished first with a 0.4 demo rating and in average total viewers with 1.4 million. “La Mexicana y El Guero” earned a 0.3 demo rating and 1.2 million total viewers at 8 p.m. At 9, “Mi Fortuna Es Amarte,” which aired from 9 to 11, had a 0.4 demo rating and 1.6 million total viewers.
Telemundo was second in ratings with a 0.3 demo rating and in average total viewers with 1.3 million. “Casa de Famosos,” which began airing at 7 p.m., had a 0.4 demo rating and 1.4 million total viewers. “Infiel: Historia de un Engaño” received a 0.3 demo rating and 1.1 million total viewers at 10 p.m.