While it didn’t go the full seven games, the Western Conference semifinal series between the Lakers and Warriors managed to draw some jaw-dropping viewership numbers.
The matchup between Los Angeles and Golden State had plenty of appeal, with stars LeBron James and Stephen Curry battling it out for a conference finals berth. The series was broadcast on ESPN, TNT and ABC, and according to NBA Communications, it was the most-watched conference semifinals in nearly three decades.
With an average of 7.8 million viewers across the six games, the Lakers-Warriors semifinal matchup drew the largest audience for a second-round series in 27 years.
The Los Angeles Lakers-Golden State Warriors series averaged 7.8M viewers across ABC, ESPN and TNT, making it the most watched Conference Semifinals series in 27 years. pic.twitter.com/pJxc2dSp60
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 15, 2023
Additionally, Game 6 of the series, which was broadcast on ESPN, was the most-watched conference semifinal game since 2011, drawing in an average of 8.64 million viewers and a peak of 9.295 million. The Lakers won Game 6, 122–101.
Considering the slew of star players representing each team, it’s not difficult to see why there was so much interest in the matchup. While they’ve squared off multiple times in the Finals, an early-round playoff matchup between Curry and James had never previously occurred, adding to the intrigue surrounding their second-round Western Conference matchup.
Los Angeles closed out the series with the win on Friday, successfully booking its ticket to the Western Conference finals to face the Nuggets.
