June is one of the busiest months of the year for sports fans. With the NBA Finals, Stanley Cup, US Open, and Belmont Stakes all in the past month, sports fans just had to be wiser when choosing what to watch. Below, we’ll take a look at the most watched sporting events in June 2023.
The 2023 NBA Finals was the most watched sporting event of June and it wasn’t even close.
The Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat series averaged 11.64 million viewers through five games and took each of the top five spots on the list of most-watched sports programming in June 2023, according to Nielsen.
Game 5 of the Heat-Nuggets clash led the way with an average of over 13 million viewers.
The final round of the 2023 US Open was the second most watched broadcast on television, drawing 6.2 million viewers to rank sixth on the list. This was followed by the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft, which averaged 4.9.3 million viewers.
The list is rounded out in the third round of the 2023 US Open, Belmont Stakes, and College World Championship Final.
NBA Domaines most-watched sporting events in June 2023
The 2023 NBA Playoffs have been a huge success from a viewing standpoint.
The NBA Playoffs’ television ratings averaged 5.47 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, and TNT, making it the most-watched postseason in five years.
The league carried its post-season success to the Finals, where Denver defeated Miami in five games to win the franchise’s first NBA championship.
The 2023 NBA Finals dominated the sports scene during the month of June. Games 1-5 captured the top five spots on the list of most-watched sports TV shows last month.
The Nuggets’ victory in Game 5 was the most-watched series on broadcast sports television in June, reaching an average of 13.08 million viewers. The broadcast peaked with 17.83 million viewers in the final moments of the game as fans tuned in to watch the Nuggets lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Meanwhile, Games 1-4 averaged between 10-12 million viewers, making it twice as popular as the next top sporting event (the 2023 US Open).
The NBA app also had a post-season history, with unique viewership of NBA League Pass up 32 percent year-over-year on the app.
Of course, the NBA Finals didn’t count for the league’s only appearance on the list.
The league has also had a successful NBA draft with an average of 3.74 million viewers across ESPN and ABC. An average of 4.93 million first-round viewers tuned in to watch Victor Wimpanyama pick the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, marking a 24 percent increase compared to 2022.
Most Watched Sports TV Shows (June 2023)
The 2023 NBA Finals and 2023 US Open rounded out seven of the top 10 spots on the list of most-watched sporting events last month.
Game 5 of the NBA Finals led the way with an average of 13.08 million viewers, followed by Game 2 (11.91 million), Game 1 (11.58 million), Game 3 (11.24 million) and Game 4 (10.42 million).
The final round of the 2023 US Open was next on the list at 6.2 million viewers.
No other sporting event has averaged more than 6 million viewers.
The first round of the 2023 NBA Draft approached, drawing an average of 4.93 million viewers and peaking at 6.09 million at the start of telecast on ESPN. The climax was a result of NBA fans tuning into the San Antonio Spurs’ first overall pick, Victor Wimpanyama.
The third round of the US Open (4.2M), Belmont Stakes (3.82M), and College World Series Final (3.57M) rounded out the top 10 sports TV shows last month.
Here is a list of the most watched sporting events in June 2023, according to Nielsen.
- NBA Finals 5 game – 13.08 million viewers
- NBA Finals 2 game – 11.91 million viewers
- NBA Finals Game 1 – 11.58 million viewers
- NBA Finals 3 game – 11.24 million viewers
- NBA Finals 4 game – 10.42 million viewers
- The final round of the US Open – 6.2 million viewers
- NBA draft round 1 – 4.93 million viewers
- US Open Tour 3 – 4.2 million viewers
- Belmont Stakes – 3.82 million viewers
- College World Series Final – 3.57 million viewers