NBA Finals: Series-High 12.4 Overnight For Thunder/Heat Game 4, Best Since ’04

Posted by | 06/20/2012 at 12:57 pm

After a series-low for Game 3, overnight ratings for Game 4 of the NBA Finals hit a series-high on ABC.

Game 4 of the Thunder/Heat NBA Finals drew a 12.4 overnight rating on ABC Tuesday night, up 12% from Heat/Mavericks Game 4 last year (11.1), and up 7% from Lakers/Celtics Game 4 on a Thursday night in 2010 (11.6).

The 12.4 overnight is the highest for Game 4 of the NBA Finals since Lakers/Pistons in 2004 (14.4), and the second-highest since Lakers/Sixers in 2001 (14.7).

Overall, the 12.4 is the tenth-highest overnight for an NBA Finals game on ABC since the network resumed airing games in the 2002-03 season, and the fifth-highest when series-clinching games are excluded.

Since the current Thursday-Sunday-Tuesday scheduling format began in 2004, final ratings for Game 4 of the NBA Finals have declined between 12% and 17% from the overnight — putting Tuesday’s game on pace to finish in the 10.3-10.9 range.

Game 4 drew a 49.1 rating in Oklahoma City, up 17% from Game 3 (41.9), and a series-high. In Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, the game drew a 34.6 rating — up 17% from Game 3 (29.6), and up 1% from last year (34.2).

10 Highest Overnights For the NBA Finals on ABC
Since the network resumed airing games in the 2002-03 season

(Tuesday’s numbers from ESPN Media Zone)

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  • Rich S.

    Wouldn’t be surprised to see the refs finally give OKC some love in Game 5. With ratings like this, Stern wants this one going 6 games at least!

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Andrea-Cavalli/757338131 Andrea Cavalli

      I don’t want to be mean, and I don’t think this site is the correct place to bring that up, but I think that this whole Stern/refs thing has gone too far. I’m just sick of people bringing that up.

      It’s just that it’s an impossible game to officiate with many judgment calls that can go either way and amazing athletes who go at full speed on such a limited space. You’ve got contact on just about any play so it’s impossible to please everyone. In those Finals alone, pro-Heat fans say there’s not enough focus on those calls going against them and anti-Heat fans talk about the Heat being favored by the refs. Which is which? I would focus on the fact those games have been great to watch, not the refs.

      Refs, unlike us, don’t have slow-motion from different camera angles and have to make a decision in a split-second..Many times what we see on TV is not what the refs see from a different position on the court. I would love to see how those refs bashers would fare if they were out there on the court, without the benefit of slow-motion. I guarantee you the conspiracies would drop for good. It doesn’t take being a ref to understand that, just common sense. I’m not saying refs can’t be criticized and they never miss calls (they’re the first ones who criticize themselves), I’m just disputing the conspiracy angle. Missed calls in an impossible game to officiate don’t mean there’s a conspiracy.

      Obviously, if there really was a conspiracy something would’ve leaked out. With the techology there is today, there’s no way e-mail exchanges or phone conversations between the league and refs wouldn’t have leaked out (see soccer game-fixing scandals in Europe where those things leaked out) ..nobody is able to hide anything in the NBA, let alone a massive conspiracy involving multiple refs and league personnel..it’s already tough to keep a secret between 2-3 people, let alone tens of people who would’ve to be involved (basically all or most refs..and there are tens and tens of refs in the nba, and new ones enter the league before every season..are they all part of the conspiracy? would they all accept to alter the course of the games? obviously more than one wouldn’t accept and would reveal everything..is the league so stupid to risk going out of business by asking every new ref entering the league each fall “hey would you rig games for us?”..plus I don’t see what refs would have to gain by assuring an additional game to the league..why they should even care to begin with?).

      To me it’s just hot air.

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

    I wonder if the Game 5 ratings will skyrocket as viewers tune in to see LeBron possibly get a ring. I think we could be looking at 18-19 million viewers and a final rating of 11.0-12.0.

    • JakeFrankie

      I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s in the 10.0′s-12.0′s, Without a doubt it will see a bump from this game. This series has been something from 9.9 to 10.4 to 8.8 to another mid 10 it looks like quiet the Finals for the NBA. But even if it ends in 5 games it’s fantastic for the NBA.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Andrea-Cavalli/757338131 Andrea Cavalli

     OKC has already pulled a comeback from a 2-game deficit (look no further than the previous round) and, hey, if they take game 5 in Miami, they would have 2 games on their home court where it’s almost impossible winning if you’re a road team (even though the Heat won game 2 there). So I’m waiting before saying this series is over.

    Then again, the thought of seeing LeBron possibly getting his 1st ring in 24 hours from now makes me giddy. I was one of the very few people neutral about him until last year, but the over-the-top and often baseless, unfair criticism aimed at him made me become a fan..basically, he’s become a sympathetic figure to me and I know many people who feel the same.

    Obviously the haters will never disappear. I have already caught someone saying that they should apply an asterisk if Miami wins because of the lockout..those are the same people who wouldn’t be talking about asterisks in the case of a Thunder victory. And nevermind the fact 16 games (the #of missed games due to the lockout) are not enough to sway the on-court  value of each team.

    ps: IF there’a game 7,  I think ratings could possibly top game 7 between Lakers and Celtics in 2010.

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

      I think a close Game 7 would exceed 30 million viewers. Hell, I think a close Game 6 on Sunday night could approach 25-28 million.

  • John

    This would probably be one of the few times that I would fully support a game being fixed for the sake of better ratings. The NBA has got something hot right now & to have it end abruptly in just 5 games would honestly be disappointing to this fan. I’m holding out hope for the OKC comeback, but this series NEEDS to go at least till Sunday night.

    • JakeFrankie

      I personally hope Miami wins game 5 and the NBA Championship, With LeBron winning MVP. This is WILL NOT be the last time the Heat-OKC meet in the Finals, I’m pretty sure we will see these 2 teams next year in the Finals. OKC is the best in the West BY FAR as is Miami in the East even with a Health Rose Chicago will NOT beat Miami.

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

    Any final numbers?

    • Paulsen

      Haven’t seen those yet. I imagine those will surface sometime this afternoon.

  • JakeFrankie

    Paulsen have you heard anything on the final hh rating for game 4? I keep trying to find it, Haven’t found anything yet.

    • Paulsen

      Haven’t seen those yet. I imagine those will surface sometime this afternoon.