On a packed sports weekend, the fourth game of the Heat/Pacers series was the highest rated event in the metered markets.
Game 4 of the Heat/Pacers second round NBA playoff series drew a 5.9 overnight rating on ABC Sunday afternoon, down 9% from Lakers/Mavericks Game 4 last year (6.5), but up 16% from Cavaliers/Celtics Game 4 in 2010 (5.1).
The 5.9 overnight is the eighth-highest for an afternoon NBA playoff game on ABC since network began airing games in the 2002-03 season.
Sunday’s game earned the highest overnight of the weekend for any sporting event, even topping the race portion of The Preakness Stakes on NBC (5.5).
On Saturday, Game 3 between the Spurs and Clippers drew an extremely low (for broadcast) 2.9 overnight — matching Thunder/Grizzlies Game 3 on ESPN last year (2.9). Last year’s comparable ABC game was Heat/Celtics Game 3 in primetime, which earned a 5.7 overnight.
The 2.9 for Spurs/Clippers is the lowest overnight for an NBA playoff game on ABC since Game 7 of the Bucks/Hawks first round series in 2010 (2.7).
Excluding first round games, the 2.9 is the lowest ever for the playoffs on ABC, dipping below a 3.0 for Game 1 of the Nets/Cavaliers second round series in 2007.
Also over the weekend, ESPN drew a 5.3 overnight for Game 3 of the Thunder/Lakers series on Friday night — down 4% from Lakers/Mavericks Game 3 in an earlier window last year (5.5). Earlier in the night, Celtics/Sixers Game 4 drew a 3.6 overnight, up 24% from Bulls/Hawks Game 3 last year (2.9).
(Friday-Sunday numbers from ESPN)
