SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs are not vying for the 2023 NBA title nor will likely be in Finals contention for a while longer but that isn't stopping fans in San Antonio from watching Denver and Miami duke it out on the court.
According to ESPN, San Antonio ranked No. 5 among the top five local markets watching Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
San Antonio has an 8.7 Nielsen rating behind Denver (19.9 ratings), Miami (13.5 ratings), West Palm Beach (11.8 ratings), and Richmond-Petersburg (9.7 ratings).
The NBA Finals started off strong on Thursday, June 1, as Game 1 averaged 11,580,000 viewers across ABC and ESPN2. It peaked with 12,784,000 viewers in the 10:30 p.m. ET quarter hour, according to Nielsen.
The Nuggets' win over the Heat in Game 1 more than tripled its competition on television for the night of June 1, easily winning the night in viewership and in all key demographics.
San Antonio is definitely a basketball city and these numbers prove that the NBA thrives in the city.
And NBA excitement is at a fever pitch ahead of the start of the team's 2023-24 season with the Spurs more than likely to select Victor Wembanyama No. 1 in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Season ticket sales are selling fast and fans are counting down the days to NBA Draft night for what will likely be a generational player wearing Silver and Black next season.
The Finals continue on Wednesday, June 7, with Game 3 from Miami.
Are you watching the NBA Finals? Let us know on Twitter at @KENS5 and at @JeffGSpursZone.
