Though down from an extremely strong performance last year, ABC earned good overnights for Sunday’s NBA doubleheader.
Sunday’s Heat/Knicks NBA regular season game earned a 3.7 overnight rating on ABC, down 14% from Knicks/Celtics last year (4.3), but up a tick from Bulls/Heat in 2011 (3.6). The 3.7 is the fifth-highest for a 1 PM ET regular season game on ABC since the network reacquired the NBA in 2002.
ABC’s lone regular season game between the Heat and Knicks last season (April 2012) earned a 3.3 overnight.
To the surprise of few, Heat/Knicks more-than-doubled the overnight of the Blackhawks/Red Wings NHL regular season game on NBC (1.6).
Later Sunday, Thunder/Clippers earned a 3.8 overnight rating — down 27% from Heat/Lakers last year (5.2), and down a tick from Lakers/Spurs in 2011 (3.9). Keep in mind last year’s Heat/Lakers game earned ABC’s best-ever regular season overnight.
Heat/Knicks was ABC’s third-highest rated NBA regular season game ever in Miami-Ft. Lauderdale (14.3), and Thunder/Clippers was the third-highest rated ever in Oklahoma City (15.4).
In the nightcap, ESPN earned a 1.4 overnight for Bulls/Pacers.
(Sunday’s overnights from ESPN)
