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The ratings for the 2024 NBA Finals are in and Game 5 of the Boston Celtics-Dallas Mavericks fell short of last year's matchup. Notably, Game 5 between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat had over a million viewers more than this year's championship-clinching game.
According to The Athletic's Richard Deitsch, Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals had an average of 12.224 million viewers. It was lower than the previous two Game 5s in the NBA Finals in 2022 and 2023. The Nuggets-Heat had an average of 13.08 million viewers, while the Warriors-Celtics was slightly lower at 13.07 million viewers.
The good news is the ratings were higher than Game 5 of the 2021 NBA Finals featuring the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns. That game only had an average of 9.5 million viewers. Nevertheless, the league is set to sign a new TV deal by next year worth billions of dollars.
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2024 NBA Finals ratings lowest in three seasons
The 2024 NBA Finals had an average of 11.3 million viewers per game. It was the lowest ratings since 2021 and the lowest among non-COVID-affected seasons in the last 15 years. The 2020 NBA Finals were held inside the bubble, while attendance was limited in 2021.
According to UVA Sports Stats' Danny Neckel, no NBA games had at least 14 million viewers in the past five years. The NCAA dominated viewership in both men's and women's basketball, with the championship game between Iowa and USC gaining 18.9 million with a peak of 24.1 million.
However, it should be pointed out that the ratings only account for the United States. The NBA is more of a global game and more people tuned in from other countries across the globe.
Jaylen Brown beats Jayson Tatum to win NBA Finals MVP
Jayson Tatum led the Boston Celtics in points, rebounds and assists in the NBA Finals. However, Jaylen Brown was named the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, which started a debate among fans. Tatum did struggle with his shot and was shooting under 40.0% in the series.
Brown was more consistent and defended Luka Doncic on the other side of the ball. His impact was felt more, which is one of the reasons why he was voted as the Finals MVP. Jrue Holiday might have had a better shot at taking home the award than Tatum.
Nevertheless, the Celtics are the NBA champions after having one of the best regular seasons in league history. They dominated during their postseason run with just three total losses – Game 2 in the first round, Game 2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals and Game 4 in the NBA Finals.
