The Toronto Raptors set record after record with TV ratings during their playoff run, which culminated in some truly staggering ratings as they closed out the championship in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.
The game averaged 7.7 million viewers across all channels in Canada, making it the most-watched TV program in Canada in three years and the most-watched NBA game ever in Canada. 15.9 million Canadians were estimated to have tuned into some part of the game, which represents 44 percent of the country’s population and a record.
The ratings in Toronto and Hamilton were especially impressive. 82 percent of people watching TV in Toronto and Hamilton tuned into the Raptors, which is the highest non-Olympics audience in the market.
The Raptors just experienced their best season in franchise history. Their 58 regular season wins were their second-highest total ever. Unlike past years when they had to contend with LeBron James in the conference, James’ exodus to the Lakers in the Western Conference gave the Raptors a new hope. They took advantage of the opportunity by acquiring Kawhi Leonard and later Marc Gasol in a trade, really making a run for the title. It paid off, and now the popularity of the Raptors in Toronto and the country is at an all-time high.
