Celtics Win Scores Top Spot For ESPN, ‘Empire’ Season Finale Aces Big 4 Battle
May 24, 2018Celtics Win Scores Top Spot For ESPN, ‘Empire’ Season Finale Aces Big 4 Battle
With twists and flourishes that would constitute a whole season for most shows, Empire (1.6/7) concluded its fourth season on a night that also saw ends for Survivor (1.4/6), Law & Order: SVU (1.2/5) and Star (1.2/5).
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Yet, the real slam-dunk ratings victory was up on cable with ESPN’s airing of Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals and a solid winner for a surging Boston Celtics. Now leading the series 3-2, the boys from Beantown beat LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers 96-83. A triumph that scored a 5.7 metered market result for the Disney-owned sports net and won the night overall.
The @celtics pour in 13 triples to take a 3-2 Eastern Conference Finals advantage! #CUsRise #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/EX2MwhRoYG
— NBA (@NBA) May 24, 2018
Not only did the NBA match-up give ESPN a win but it revealed, as a number of games during the playoff qualifiers have, that basketball is proving a magnet for America’s eyeballs this year. Case in point, Wednesday’s ECF Game 5 was up a very nice 30% from last year’s comparable b-ball battle when the same two teams faced-off in a conference that the Cavs ultimately won. To pull back to a slightly larger perspective, the 2018 NBA Playoffs are up 17% overall over 2017 at this point so far.
BTW – here’s some more math to sweeten the stats, the Celtics are 10-0 right now in postseason home games. Game 6 of the ECF moves to Cleveland tomorrow, which could provide a much-needed advantage to the Cavs – or not.
On a night of finales sprinkled in with encores and movies on the Big 4, the Wednesday advantage went to FOX thanks to the Lee Daniels and Danny Strong created hip hop drama again. Though down 36% from its Season 3 ender of last year to a finale low, Empire was even with its May 16 show. Overall, with a Star season finale that tripped a tenth from last week, FOX won the broadcast primetime night among adults 18-49 with a 1.4/6 rating.
A Survivor filled night for CBS saw the even Ghost Island as the most watched show of Wednesday’s primetime with 7.40 million sets of eyeballs. However, down 26% from its last spring finale of May 24, 2017, Survivor also hit a finale low as the ratings left the island, so to speak. Facing that much watched NBA game and its commentary aftermath, the 10 PM Reunion (1.1/5) special stumble 15% from last year.
Otherwise the only other original of the night was NBC’s two-hour L&O: SVU Season 19 ender. Up 20% in the key demo from last week, the Dick Wolf series was fairly steady with its Season 18 finale of May 24, 2017 with just a dip of tenth. ABC’s primetime was filled with an airing of Toy Story 3 (0.7/3) and a special 20/20 (0.5/2)
As for tonight, up against an estate contested Michael Jackson special on the Disney-own net, expect more NBA strong results as the Golden State Warriors take on the Houston Rockets in Texas Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. Airing on TNT, that series that is currently tied 2-2.