Raptors had record TV ratings for Game 6 of conference finals

Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night was the biggest game in Raptors history. It’s no surprise that that truth was reflected in the TV ratings for the game in Canada.

Game 6 of the series averaged 3.1 million viewers on Sportsnet in Canada and peaked at 5.3 million. That is the largest TV audience for an NBA game in Canadian history.

BOOM. More than 3 million Canadians (3.1 million viewers) watched the Raptors win Game 6 and the NBA's Eastern Conference Championship on Sportsnet Saturday night. A staggering number. The largest TV audience for a basketball game in Canadian history. Incredible. #OurGame pic.twitter.com/H0HQia9ArV — Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) May 27, 2019

The Raptors beat the Bucks at home in that game to clinch their first NBA Finals berth in team history. Ticket prices for the game were through the roof, while the videos of fans celebrating showed just how much the city was embracing the team’s run.

As popular as the Raptors have become this postseason, they still are a ways from reaching the levels of the Maple Leafs. The Leafs averaged 3.6 million viewers for Game 6 of their first-round playoff series against the Bruins this season.