Celtics-Magic Game 1 Breaks Massive Viewership Record

The Boston Celtics beat the Orlando Magic 103-86 in Game 1 of their first-round series. With the Celtics being a championship contender, many were excited for the start of the playoffs, but apparently to an extreme magnitude.

https://twitter.com/BrianTRobb/status/1914721462188908677

“Celtics-Magic Game 1 averaged 6.69 million viewers on Sunday. It was the most watched Game 1 of the weekend and the second most-watched First Round, Game 1 on ABC ever.”

Unfortunately for the neutral fans watching, the game wasn’t the closest, but it is interesting nonetheless that the game earned such a massive number in viewership.

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It is unclear why the game was such a hit for NBA fans. Maybe Celtics fans are just that invested in the team. It is also possible that the Celtics have earned many bandwagon fans after winning the championship last year.

It will be interesting to see how viewership numbers change going forward. The team just dominated the Magic in Game 1, especially in the second half, so it is hard to imagine every single fan who watched the first game being excited for the second game.

The Celtics also play an exciting brand of basketball. They focus on the three-point shot more than any other team, which can lead to some exciting moments of shooting displays.

Another interesting tidbit in the other direction for this series is pace of play. These two teams were the two slowest teams in the NBA during the regular season, which makes the fact that fans were so excited to watch the game even more surprising.

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Going forward in the series, Game 2 will be a huge way to understand why so many people watched the first game. If the viewership maintains itself, it means lots of people are just excited to watch the Celtics try and repeat as champions.

If it doesn’t repeat, it could have something to do with the combination of game time, day of the week, and the network it was on. The game was held on a Sunday afternoon at 3 o’clock, coincidentally on Easter Sunday. Maybe that was a factor.

Game 2 will take place on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. on TNT. It will be fascinating to see how the viewership numbers differ from Game 1, especially with the current uncertain status of Jayson Tatum after hurting his wrist.

For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.