NBA Playoffs: Heat/Celtics Game 6 Ties Second-Best NBA Audience on Cable

Posted by | 06/09/2012 at 1:01 pm

For the second time in a week, ESPN earned the second-largest NBA audience ever on cable television.

Game 6 of the Heat/Celtics NBA Eastern Conference Finals drew 11.068 million viewers on ESPN Thursday night, up 47% from Magic/Celtics Game 6 on a Friday night in 2010 (7.538M), and up 31% from Lakers/Nuggets Game 6 on a Friday night in 2009 (8.462M). There was no comparable game last season.

Thursday’s game is tied with Sunday’s Game 4 as the second-most viewed NBA game ever on cable television. Only Heat/Bulls Game 1 last year (11.109M) drew more viewers.

The past three games of Heat/Celtics now rank among the seven most-viewed NBA games ever cable. Overall, ten of the top eleven games have involved LeBron James.

Thursday’s game was the most-viewed program of the night on broadcast or cable, and also topped the charts among adults 18-49 (4.8).

(Thursday’s numbers from TV By the Numbers)

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  • JakeFrankie

    What’s the highest rating a NBA game has ever gotten on Cable?
    Tonight’s game might be able to beat it I believe even on a Saturday.

  • JakeFrankie

    The final rating I heard was 6.8.