NBA Finals 2019: Game 5 reaches record 13.4 million Canadians, becomes most-watched program on television this year

On Monday night, another record-breaking audience tuned in to see one of the biggest games in Raptors history.

Game 5 of the NBA Finals reached 13.4 million Canadians and averaged 6.4 million viewers on Rogers Sportsnet and Citytv.

It's the most watched program ever for Rogers Media and also the biggest audience ever for an NBA game in the country.

Other than Olympic broadcasts, which typically bring in massive viewership numbers, Monday's game ranks in the Top 10 most-watched sports broadcasts on record in Canada. 

The most remarkable number may be just this: Game 5 was the most-watched program on Canadian television this broadcast and calendar year, eclipsing the finale of the hit show the Big Bang Theory by 11%.

So far, each game of the 2019 NBA Finals has landed in the top eight programs of 2019 in Canada.

According to Sportsnet's Arash Madani, Game 5's numbers were up more than two million over the Super Bowl this year (New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Rams) and surpassed the highest rated Toronto Blue Jays playoff game from 2015 by well over a million.

INCREDIBLE -- More than 6.4 million Canadians watched Game 5 of the Raptors-Warriors NBA Finals on television last night (Sportsnet + City). Want context? That's two million more viewers than the Super Bowl this year.

Canada is all-in on the Raptors and basketball. #OurGame pic.twitter.com/k8SRY1xeoR

— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) June 11, 2019

When combined with the American television audience, the Finals is up 4% over last year's series between the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers and these same Warriors.

Half of the Canadian population (18.2 million viewers) has tuned in for all or part of the 2019 NBA Finals.

With history once again knocking at the door, the Raptors are sure to draw another big number on Thursday night when they attempt to close out the series in six games with a win over the Golden State Warriors.

Tip-off is set for 9:00 p.m. ET on TSN1,4 and CTV2. The game will be joined in progress on TSN 3 and 5. RDS will carry the French broadcast in its entirety.