Let's not get carried away with NBA Finals numbers

NBA.com and ESPN.com's NBA section report today that their websites each set all-time single day traffic record for visits during the Finals with nearly 5.7 million visits apiece Thursday while the Lakers and Celtics faced off in Game 1. For the NBA, that's up 65 percent when compared to the 3.4 million who went to the site during Game 1 of the 2007 Finals. For ESPN, that's a 64 percent increase. ESPN said it had more than 7.9 million views between Thursday and 3 p.m. EDT today.
Including the playoffs, NBA.com has lapped the 1 billion marks in visits in a full season -- 1.2 billion visits to date.
Take that into consideration, as we pointed out in today's media column, when you also read that ABC's ratings aren't all that rim-shattering.
The network reported an overnight of a modest 10.4 rating -- up 30 percent from last year (Spurs-Cavs, 8.0). In L.A., it was a stunningly low 22.8; in Boston, 21.7, even with the 9 p.m. local tip. In Southern California, the 6 p.m. tipoff may not be ideal, either, considering people getting off work and heading to a sports bar or restaurant -- none of which are measured in the Neilsen ratings.
The peak viewership was from 8:30 to 8:45 p.m. PDT, which were the last half of the fourth quarter -- a 12.3 rating.
The 10.4 marks the second-highest Game 1 overnight since ABC starting airing the Finals six years ago. The opener of the Lakers-Pistons series in '04, which was on a Sunday, had an 11.5 mark.
Later in the day, the actual rating came out -- much lower. In drawing an average of 13.38 million viewers, up 45 percent from last year, ABC had an 8.7 rating.
Interestingly, the Lakers-Celtics broadcast was the network's highest-rated and most-viewed NBA Finals Game 1 since Lakers-Pistons in 2004 (9.8 rating; 10,634,000 households). It should have topped that one easily, but it didn't.
To break it down more among key demos, the NBA led the competition on Thursday night TV among Men 18-34 (2,312,000 viewers); Men 18-49 (4,604,000); Men 25-54 (4,582,000); Adults 18-34 (3,536,000); Adults 18-49 (7,087,000) and Adults 25-54 (7,030,000)