NBA Finals opens under 11 million for Celtics’ rout of Mavs

The Dallas Mavericks failed to show up in Game 1 of the NBA Finals — and so did the viewers.

Thursday’s Mavericks-Celtics NBA Finals Game 1 averaged a 5.7 rating and 10.99 million viewers on ABC (11.04 million including 43,000 on ESPN Deportes), topping only the two COVID-era series of 2020 (Heat-Lakers: 4.1, 7.69M) and 2021 (Bucks-Suns: 4.5, 8.70M) as the least-watched Game 1 of the Finals since 2007.

Ratings and viewership declined 5% from last year’s Heat-Nuggets Game 1, which drew a 6.0 and 11.58 million on ABC and ESPN2. Compared to the previous Finals to involve the Celtics — 2022 against the Warriors — ratings fell 11% and viewership 8% from a 6.4 and 11.90 million.

Though ratings and viewership declined, Game 1 averaged a higher share of the overall audience (20%) and adults 18-34 (50%) than any other Finals opener on ABC. (The share — the percentage of homes or viewers watching in the average minute out of the number using television — will tend to rise as television viewership declines.)

The Celtics’ 18-point margin of victory tied the Lakers’ 2020 win over Miami in the “bubble” as the most-lopsided Finals opener since 2017. Ratings and viewership peaked early at a 6.2 and 12.11 million during the 9:15 quarter-hour and bottomed out sharply at the conclusion, dropping to a 4.8 and 9.01 million during the 10:45 quarter-hour.

Game 1 drew a 3.5 rating in adults 18-49, a 2.9 in 18-34 and a 4.0 in 25-54 — down 6, 9 and 6 percent respectively from last year (3.7, 3.2, 4.2).

The NBA Finals has now opened below the 14 million mark in six-straight years, the longest streak since a seven-year stretch from 2003-09.