A blowout involving a Canadian team was an unsurprisingly soft draw for ABC.
Game 7 of the Heat/Raptors NBA playoff series earned a 4.4 overnight rating on ABC Sunday afternoon, down 24% from Clippers/Rockets Game 7 last year (5.8) and the lowest for a second round Game 7 on ABC (eight telecasts). The network’s previous low was 5.1 for Grizzlies/Thunder in 2011.
The last time the Raptors played a Game 7 in the second round, 2001, their loss to the 76ers had an 8.9 overnight on NBC. Of course, those Raptors had a much higher profile due to Vince Carter.
Though low for a Game 7, Sunday’s 4.4 overnight ranks third out of ABC’s nine playoff telecasts this year — behind only Warriors/Rockets Game 4 in the first round (5.3) and Blazers/Warriors Game 1 in the second (5.0).
The 4.4 was also the top overnight of the weekend for any sporting event, topping the second place finisher — the final round of The Players Championship — head-to-head (3.1).
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily)
