Overnight ratings declined slightly for the third game of the 2011 NBA Finals.
Sunday’s Game 3 between the Heat and Mavericks earned an 11.1 overnight rating on ABC, down 4% from last year (LAL/BOS G3: 11.5), and up 10% from 2009 (LAL/ORL G2: 10.1).
For some perspective, Mavericks/Heat Game 3 in 2006 drew a 9.0 overnight, and Spurs/Cavaliers Game 3 in 2007 (LeBron James‘ third NBA Finals game) drew a 7.8.
The 11.1 is the highest overnight for Game 3 of a non-Lakers NBA Finals since 1999 (SA/NY G3: 12.4).
Since the current scheduling format began in 2004, final ratings for Game 3 of the NBA Finals have declined between 11% and 17% from the overnight, putting Sunday’s game on pace to finish in the 9.2-9.9 range.
In 2006, the 8.0 final rating for Mavericks/Heat Game 3 was 11% lower than the 9.0 overnight. The same decline this year would result in a 9.9 final rating.
Game 3 drew a 32.3 rating in Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, down 9% from Thursday’s Game 2 (35.3), but up 33% from Game 3 in 2006 (24.3).
In Dallas-Ft. Worth, the game drew a 26.7 rating, up 4% from Game 2 (25.6), but down 22% from Game 3 in 2006 (34.0). By comparison, Game 3 of the Giants/Rangers World Series drew a 26.9 in the market.
All three games of the NBA Finals have been down compared to 2006 in Dallas, and each game has drawn a lower local rating than the corresponding game of last year’s World Series.
Overnight Ratings For Game 3 of the NBA Finals
Dating back to 2001
(Numbers from espnmediazone3.com)
