Key facts
- NBA claimed Spurs-Thunder series was most-watched conference finals in 24 years, averaging 10.8 million viewers.
- Conference finals aired on NBC, a broadcast network, for the first time in 24 years.
- Nielsen's Big Data + Panel methodology reportedly increased live sports viewership by 10%.
- NBC's self-reported 3.23 million viewers for Game 7 on Peacock used a different tracking method.
- Article criticizes sports media for not questioning NBA's press release and context.
The NBA's claim that the Spurs-Thunder series was the most-watched conference finals in 24 years, averaging 10.8 million viewers, is facing scrutiny. The article highlights that this is the first time in 24 years the conference finals aired on a broadcast network (NBC), a significant factor compared to recent broadcasts on cable. Despite smaller market teams, the Western Conference Finals averaged three million more viewers than the Eastern Conference Finals. The article also points to Nielsen's updated Big Data + Panel methodology, which may have boosted live sports viewership by approximately 10%. NBC's self-reported 3.23 million viewers for Game 7 on Peacock, measured by Adobe Analytics, is questioned for its comparability to historical Nielsen data. The piece criticizes sports media for not providing context or challenging the NBA's press releases, suggesting a decline in overall NBA ratings over the past decade due to various factors.