While a number of media outlets covered the ratings decline for the NBA Finals in the United States in 2019, just as much was made of the effect having the league’s only Canadian team had on viewership north of the border. Viewership for each game has set records for NBA telecasts in Canada.
Game 6 made an even bigger impact. The English language broadcast was seen by an average audience of 7.7 million people across three networks: TSN, CTV, and RDS. The game peaked in the final minute with an estimated audience of 9.99 million. In total, Bell Media estimates that 44% of the Canadian population watched some part of Game 6.
Locally there was a lot of support for the Raptors’ title win. According to Bell Media, 82% of households in Toronto and Hamilton tuned into the game.
These numbers make Game 6 the most watched NBA game in Canadian broadcast history, beating Game 5. It is also the most watched English language broadcast in Canada since 2016.
