NBA Finals: 12.6 Overnight For Series Finale, Even With Last Year

Posted by | 06/22/2012 at 1:33 pm

Overnight ratings held steady for the final game of the NBA season.

Game 5 of the Thunder/Heat NBA Finals drew a 12.6 overnight rating on ABC Thursday night, flat compared to Heat/Mavericks Game 5 last year (12.6), and down 2% from Lakers/Celtics Game 5 on a Sunday night (12.8).

The 12.6 overnight is the highest of the series, edging Tuesday’s Game 4 (12.4). Overall, the 12.6 is tied as the eighth-highest for an NBA game on ABC since the network resumed airing games in the 2002-03 season.

With that said, the 12.6 is the lowest for a series-clinching game of the NBA Finals since Lakers/Magic Game 5 in 2009 (9.4). Lakers/Magic was, until this year, the most recent NBA Finals to end in four or five games.

Last year’s Mavericks/Heat Game 6 clincher drew a 15.0 overnight on a Sunday night, and Celtics/Lakers Game 7 drew an 18.2 on a Thursday night.

Game 5 drew a 40.3 rating in Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, the highest local rating ever for an NBA game in the market. The 40.3 marks a 17% increase from Game 4 on Tuesday night (34.6), and a 23% rise from last year’s Game 5 (32.7).

In Oklahoma City, the game drew a 39.8 rating — down 18% from Game 4 (49.1) and a series-low. For some perspective, Bulls/SuperSonics Game 5 in 1996 — the last appearance for the SuperSonics franchise in the NBA Finals before this year — drew a 40.7 rating in Seattle.

(Thursday’s overnight from ESPN Media Zone)

# # # #
  • JakeFrankie

    Last Year’s Game 5 drew a 10.8, So that’s very likely. If it does get a 10.8, It will be the first Finals since the 2002 NBA Finals (Last NBC NBA broadcast ever) to get a 10.8 on a Series clinching game. Series average will most likely be a 10.0-10.1 (just under last year’s 10.2). But again the final numbers aren’t out yet they will be out soon.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/GDEYUQYISOX47HRGQ6O6JMNQAA MG

    A total anti-climax. I really thought OKC was gonna give Miami a tougher test, but their youth and inexperience got the best of them.

    Not only did the series only last 5 games but the clincher was a blowout and I’m sure a bunch of people tuned out early. Oh well, a double digit 5 game series is still good news for the NBA.

  • Hrana Cc

    It should be interesting to see how the ratings do for next years playoffs because a lot of people were rooting against the Heat to win their first title but now that they have won will casual fans still tune it to watch. I imagine when Miami loses in the playoffs whether its next year or after that a lot of people will tune in to see them lose the championship.