Game 5 Least-Watched Non-COVID Western Conference Finals Since 2013

[Street Knowledge]

Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves averaged just 4.62 million viewers on ESPN on Wednesday, making it the least-watched non-COVID season Western Conference Finals game since 2013.

Oklahoma City’s blowout win was also the least-watched WCF Game 5 since Utah Jazz-Spurs in 2007 (3.94M), falling even below that Lakers-Nuggets series in the 2020 “bubble” (4.99M).

Viewership was down 26 percent compared to Game 5 last season when the Dallas Mavericks closed out the Wolves. The full, five-game Thunder-Timberwolves series averaged 5.59 million, which down 17 percent from last year's series between the Mavericks and Wolves.

The Thunder have one of the NBA's smallest media markets, but their West Finals appearances with a core of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are amongst the most watched in recent history.

Game 5 Least-Watched Non-COVID Western Conference Finals Since 2013

Game 5 Least Watched Non COVID Western Conference Finals Since 2013 - RealGM Wiretap

basketball.realgm.com

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

The league wants and needs parity as well as new faces of the league, so these type of growing pains will come along with it.

 

[mvp_status]

I mean the game was over in the 1st quarter.....

 

[the cool]

I mean the game was over in the 1st quarter.....

That’s when I turned it off

 

[Baka's Weird Case]

I mean the game was over in the 1st quarter.....

it was done when i turned it on in the first. and i turned it right back off

 

[CHICAGO]

The league wants and needs parity as well as new faces of the league, so these type of growing pains will come along with it.

THE LEAGUE HAS HAD
PARITY FOR
THE LAST 7 YEARS.



​

 

[Unbothered]

I ain't gonna lie I watched the opening minutes of Game 5 when OKC was already leading 17-7 or something like that and I fell asleep

Largely in part, because I already knew the Thunder was gonna pack up the Wolves. I knew Minnesota already checked out after that Game 4 loss when Ant pretty much gave a “shrugged shoulder” reaction to how he played in that game.

I knew it was over, and there was nothing more to see.

I woke up around the 4th quarter with 6 minutes to go, and OKC was already up by 20+, so I decided to go back to sleep.

 

[cobra]

lmao Silver is getting the knicks into the finals somehow

 

[King Static X]

The Thunder and T-Wolves aren't going to be ratings juggernauts.

 

[StatUS]

Is it the teams or ESPN or a mixture of both?

 

[Rasille]

This series felt underwhelming can’t explain why though

 

[Bigwhite2498]

The league wants and needs parity as well as new faces of the league, so these type of growing pains will come along with it.

Parity is actually bad for ratings

 

[god shamgod]

This is why I hope the pacers win the ecf

So I can laugh at these insecure overcompensating goofies who try so hard.wait til the finals ratings come out if Indiana wins

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

Is it the teams or ESPN or a mixture of both?

Probably a mixture of both but OKC's ratings overall have been pretty bad. It is what it is. They are a very small market and SGA hasn't caught on with casuals yet.

 

[SchoolboyC]

This series felt underwhelming can’t explain why though

It was a belt to ass from beginning to end and even the one game Minnesota won was by like 40

There was no suspense to any of the games really

Definitely one of the more boring Conf Finals in the past decade