Houston Rockets vs. Warriors: Game 5 set a TV ratings record
The Houston Rockets have been setting records left and right for the season and now they have a new one under the belts after completing a thrilling Game 5 match up with the Golden State Warriors. What happened? Let’s take a look.
The Houston Rockets have been exciting to watch for the past few seasons and this season was taken to another level. With the high-flying, turbo-charged offense led by James Harden and Chris Paul along with instant offense guys such as Eric Gordon and Gerald Green, this team has all the weapons it needs to succeed for a championship.
The Houston Rockets are just one win away from securing an NBA Finals bid, the first time doing so since 1995, the year the team won its second of back-to-back championships. Could it happen tonight? We’ll definitely have to see, especially without the services of Paul, who is out nursing an injured right hamstring.
But this series has been far from being an eyesore — in fact, America is watching this one closely. Two of the most talented teams in the NBA this season have been punching it out over the past couple of weeks with story line filled with drama, sensation as well as suspense has kept those hoops fans glued to the television as well as those who casually watch as well.
David Barron of the Houston Chronicle had some terrific insight to share as far as how most-watched Game 5 was:
#Warriors-#Rockets Game 5 had a 7.0 Nielsen major market rating and was the most-watched show on TV. 20.8 in SF-Oakland-San Jose, 16.5 in Houston, a record for a @NBAonTNT game in Houston. Old mark was 16.1 for Game 5 of the 2015 #Clippers series. "Inside the NBA" rated 9.1 here.
— David Barron (@dfbarron) May 25, 2018
That’s incredible! Although most of the popular ratings-gobbling dramas such as Grey’s Anatomy and How to Get Away with Murder have packed it in for the season, this is still notable because it’s
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a record for the Houston Rockets.
It’s quite understandable that the ratings market would be higher in the Bay Area as they do have a die-hard fan base that supports their team by watching their games but Houston and the Bay Area are neck-and-neck in terms of media market size.
Houston is ranked 7th while the Bay Area consisting of the San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Calif. region is right behind at 8th. I recall the days when Houston was ranked a lot lower but so much as changed as this city is experiencing terrific growth which certainly translates to more eyeballs glued to the TV.
It’s not surprising that the old mark that was surpassed was against the Los Angeles Clippers in 2015, the year the Rockets stunned their opponents to face the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.
Bar none, this series has been everything we’ve asked for and more. And if this series goes to Game 7, you better believe another record will be set on Memorial Day. There will be some competition but this series will draw all kinds of viewers alike to see which team will contend for the NBA championship the next round.
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Aside from the unfortunate news of Paul’s injury, I just thought I’d like to share this positive news with you today.
The Rockets face the Warriors tonight at Oracle Arena. The tip-off of the two teams is scheduled for 8 p.m. CDT. The game will be televised on TNT will be broadcast on NewsRadio 740 AM/La Ranchera 850 AM in Spanish.