Game 2 of the NBA Finals saw its lead narrowed, hitting a five-year high after increasing slightly over the past two years.
Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Mavericks and Celtics on Sunday averaged 12.06 million viewers on ABC, making it the most-watched Game 2 of a Finals game since the Warriors and Raptors in 2019 (13.89 million), according to Nielsen First Nationals. Ratings were not immediately available.
The Celtics win drew 14.11 million viewers in the 15-minute period at 10 p.m. ET, up 1% from both last year's Heat vs. Nuggets game (11.91 million) and the 2022 Celtics vs. Warriors game (11.91 million).
Last year's Finals didn't reach 12 million until the deciding Game 5. The 2022 Finals, a high-profile series featuring Stephen Curry and the Warriors, didn't reach 12 million until Game 4.
Game 2, which was a close game in the final minutes, was up 10% over Thursday's Game 1. Notably, Game 2 not only peaked later than Game 1, which peaked in the first half, but it was also 16% higher (vs. 12.11 million).
Overall, Game 2 was the NBA's fifth-highest-watched game since the league went on hiatus nearly four years ago, behind only Games 5 and 6 of the 2022 series, Game 5 of last year's Finals and Game 6 of the 2021 Finals.
It's worth noting that the 12 million figure was a low figure for a Finals before the COVID-19 pause: Finals games from 2008-2019 averaged more viewers than Game 2.
