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NBA Finals Dominates Most Watched Sports Telecasts In June 2023

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Gia Nguyen
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Gia Nguyen Sports Editor

Gia is a Basketball Insiders contributor based in Canada. She graduated from the University of Windsor with a Bachelor of Science, so she knows the make-up of a winning bet. Gia uses her analytical background to tell stories using the latest data and statistics. Her work has been sourced by Entrepreneur, Inquirer, and more. Gia is also interested in health, wellness, and yoga.

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Sports Editor

Updated10 Jul 2023

Most Watched Sports 2023: NBA Finals Dominates June Telecasts

June is one of the most jam-packed months of the year for sports fans. With the NBA Finals, Stanley Cup, U.S. Open, and Belmont Stakes all going down last month, sports fans had to be more judicious when choosing what to watch. Below, we’ll take a look at the most-watched sporting events in June 2023.

The 2023 NBA Finals were the most-watched sporting event in June and it wasn’t even close.

The Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat series averaged 11.64 million viewers through five games and claimed each of the top five spots on the list of most-watched sports telecasts in June 2023, according to Neilsen.

Game 5 of the clash between the Heat and Nuggets led the way with an average of over 13 million viewers.

The final round of the 2023 U.S. Open was the next most-watched telecast, drawing in 6.2 million viewers to finish sixth on the list. That was followed by Round 1 of the 2023 NBA Draft, which averaged 4.9.3 million viewers.

The list was rounded out by Round 3 of the 2023 U.S. Open, the Belmont Stakes, and the College World Series Final.

NBA Domaintes Most Watched Sporting Events In June 2023

The 2023 NBA Playoffs were a major success from a viewership standpoint.

TV ratings for NBA Playoffs averaged 5.47 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, and TNT, making it the most-watched postseason in five years.

The league carried over its postseason success into the Finals, as Denver defeated Miami in five games to win the franchise’s first NBA Championship.

The 2023 NBA Finals dominated the sports landscape during the month of June. Games 1 through 5 captured the top five spots on the list of the most-watched sports telecasts last month.

The Nuggets’ series-clinching Game 5 win was the most-watched sports telecast in June, reaching an average of 13.08 million viewers. The broadcast peaked with 17.83 million viewers in the final moments of the game as fans tuned in to see the Nuggets hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Meanwhile, Games 1-4 averaged between 10-12 million viewers, making them nearly twice as popular as the next-highest sporting event (2023 U.S. Open).

The NBA App also had a historic postseason, with unique viewers on NBA League Pass up 32 percent year-over-year on the app.

Of course, the NBA Finals didn’t account for the league’s only appearance on the list.

The league also had a successful NBA Draft with an average of 3.74 million viewers tuning in across ESPN and ABC. An average of 4.93 million viewers tuned into the first round to watch Victor Wembanyama be selected as the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, marking a 24 percent increase compared to 2022.

Most Watched Sports Telecasts (June 2023)

The 2023 NBA Finals and 2023 U.S. Open accounted for seven of the top 10 spots on the list of the most-watched sporting events last month.

Game 5 of the NBA Finals led the way with an average of 13.08 million viewers, followed by Game 2 (11.91 million), Game 1 (11.58 million), Game 3 (11.24 million) and Game 4 (10.42 million).

The final round of the 2023 U.S. Open was next on the list at 6.2 million viewers.

No other sporting event averaged more than 6 million viewers.

Round 1 of the 2023 NBA Draft came close, drawing an average of 4.93 million viewers and peaking at 6.09 million at the start of the telecast on ESPN. The peak was a result of NBA fans tuning into the San Antonio Spurs drafting generational prospect Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 overall pick.

The third round of the U.S. Open (4.2 million), Belmont Stakes (3.82 million), and College World Series Final (3.57 million) rounded out the top-10 sports telecasts last month.

Here is the list of the most-watched sporting events in June 2023, according to Nielsen.

  1. NBA Finals Game 5 — 13.08 million viewers
  2. NBA Finals Game 2 — 11.91 million viewers
  3. NBA Finals Game 1 — 11.58 million viewers
  4. NBA Finals Game 3 — 11.24 million viewers
  5. NBA Finals Game 4 — 10.42 million viewers
  6. U.S. Open Final Round — 6.2 million viewers
  7. NBA Draft Round 1 — 4.93 million viewers
  8. U.S. Open Round 3 — 4.2 million viewers
  9. Belmont Stakes — 3.82 million viewers
  10. College World Series Final — 3.57 million viewers

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