ABC entered the NBA All-Star Break on a strong note last weekend.
Sunday’s Lakers/Heat NBA regular season game earned a 4.1 final rating and 6.5 million viewers on ABC, up 58% in ratings and 59% in viewership from Bulls/Celtics last year (2.6, 4.1M), and up 17% and 15%, respectively, from Lakers/Magic in 2011 (3.5, 5.6M).
Excluding Christmas Day games, Lakers/Heat ranks as the third-highest rated and third-most viewed NBA regular season game on broadcast television since ABC began airing games in 2002.
Only Celtics/Lakers in January 2011 (4.3, 7.0M) and Heat/Lakers last March (4.3, 7.0M) drew better numbers. Five of ABC’s seven most-viewed non-Christmas games have taken place since the 2011 NBA owners’ lockout.
Earlier Sunday, Clippers/Knicks earned a 2.1 and 3.3 million viewers — down 38% in ratings and 36% in viewership from Heat/Celtics in 2011 (3.4, 5.2M). There was no comparable game last year.
ABC has averaged a 3.8 rating and 6.5 million viewers for NBA coverage through the All-Star break (six telecasts), down 5% in ratings and viewership from the first half last year (4.0, 6.9M), and even in ratings and down 3% in viewership from the first half two years ago (3.8, 6.7M).
ABC was boosted by a stronger Christmas Day slate last season, as the holiday doubled as NBA Opening Day due to the owners’ lockout.
10 Highest Rated Non-Christmas Regular Season NBA Games on ABC
Since the network reacquired rights in 2002
|
#
|
Date
|
Away |
Home
|
Net
|
Rating |
Viewers (000)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Sun., 1/30/11 | Celtics | Lakers | ABC |
4.3
|
7.0M
|
| T1 | Sun., 3/4/12 | Heat | Lakers | ABC |
4.3
|
7.0M
|
| 3 | Sun., 2/10/13 | Lakers | Heat | ABC |
4.1
|
6.5M
|
| 4 | Sun., 1/27/13 | Thunder | Lakers | ABC |
3.9
|
6.3M
|
| T5 | Sun., 2/8/09 | Lakers | Cavaliers | ABC |
3.8
|
6.1M
|
| T5 | Sun., 2/19/12 | Mavericks | Knicks | ABC |
3.8
|
5.9M
|
| T7 | Sun., 1/29/12 | Bulls | Heat | ABC |
3.5
|
5.7M
|
| T7 | Sun., 1/31/10 | Lakers | Celtics | ABC |
3.5
|
5.7M
|
| T7 | Sun., 2/13/11 | Lakers | Magic | ABC |
3.5
|
5.6M
|
| T7 | Sun., 4/4/04 | Spurs | Lakers | ABC |
3.5
|
5.1M
|
| T7 | Sun., 3/16/03 | Spurs | Kings | ABC |
3.5
|
4.7M
|
(Last week’s numbers from Sports Business Daily; first-half averages from ESPN)
