The second straight overtime game of the NBA Finals generated another big overnight rating.
Game 2 of the Cavaliers/Warriors NBA Finals earned a 12.9 overnight rating on ABC Sunday night, up 26% from both Heat/Spurs last year and Spurs/Heat in 2013 (10.2 both years), and the highest for a Game 2 since Lakers/Sixers on NBC in 2001 (14.5). The previous high over that span was a 12.3 overnight for Pistons/Lakers Game 2 in 2004.
Overall, the 12.9 is the second-highest for Game 2 of the NBA Finals since 1998. It is also tied as the eighth-highest for any NBA Finals game on ABC since the network resumed airing the event in 2003, matching Thursday’s Game 1.
The Cavaliers’ overtime win was the second straight game of the series to hit at least a 13-year high in the metered markets. It topped Game 2 of the Cavaliers’ previous NBA Finals appearance, against the Spurs in 2007, by 87% (6.9).
Game 2 earned a 42.1 rating in Cleveland, up 54% from Game 2 in 2007 (27.4) and the market’s highest NBA rating on ESPN/ABC. The previous high was a 41.4 for Game 1. The game also drew a 31.7 rating in the Bay Area, topping Game 1 (28.8) as the market’s highest on ESPN/ABC.
Sunday’s overnight peaked at a 16.9 from 11-11:15 PM ET, up 8% from Thursday’s peak quarter-hour of 15.6. The higher peak rating would seem to indicate that earlier portions of the game were trending below Game 1.
(Sun. numbers from ESPN Media Zone)
