The 2021 NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV featuring the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns averaged 9.91 million viewers on ABC for the six-game series, up 32% vs. the six-game 2020 NBA Finals (Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers).
The Finals propelled ABC to win the night across television and in all key demographics for every game of the championship series.
Game 6, in which the Bucks defeated the Suns 105-98 to win their first NBA title in 50 years, averaged 12.52 million viewers, up 50% vs 2020. The game peaked with 16.54 million viewers between 11:30 p.m. ET and 11:44 p.m. ET.
Game 6 delivered the largest audience on television in the key demographic of People 18-34 since February 2021 and set 25-year ratings records in the Milwaukee (41.5 rating) and Phoenix (25.9 rating) markets.
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The 2021 NBA Playoffs overall (inclusive of Finals) averaged 4.25 million viewers across ABC, ESPN and TNT, up 35% vs. the 2020 postseason. The share – the percentage of households with televisions on tuned into the NBA – for NBA playoff and Finals games finished at its highest since 2002 (7.1).
Global viewership on NBA League Pass for the NBA Playoffs was up 19% vs. last season and up 26% vs. 2019. Additionally, NBA social platforms generated 1.24 billion video views during the NBA Finals.