The battle between LeBron James and Paul Pierce helped ABC to the highest non-NBA Finals overnight in four years.
Game 7 of the Cavaliers/Celtics second round series drew a 6.9 overnight rating on ABC Sunday afternoon, up 82% from a 3.8 for Jazz/Spurs Game 1 last year. Compared to Cavaliers/Pistons Game 7 two years ago, the 6.9 is up 3%.
Earlier, the Sports Business Daily reported Game 7 drew a 6.4 overnight rating.
The 6.9 makes Cavaliers/Celtics Game 7 the fifth highest rated non-Finals NBA telecast on ABC since the network regained rights to the NBA in 2002.
Cavaliers/Celtics drew the highest overnight of any sporting event for the weekend, surpassing the 6.2 overnight for the race portion of The Preakness on NBC. This marks the first time since 2002 that an NBA game outdrew the Preakness on the same weekend.
Through Sunday, ABC is averaging a 4.4 overnight rating for nine NBA Playoff games, up 22% from a 3.6 last year.
Highest overnights for NBA games on ABC.
excluding the finals
8.0: Heat/Lakers (Sat., 12/25/04, 3:15 PM)
8.0: Spurs/Lakers Game 6 (Thu., 5/15/03, 8:30 PM)
7.2: Lakers/Spurs Game 5 (Thu., 5/13/04, 8:30 PM)
7.0: Spurs/Lakers Game 4 (Sun., 5/11/03, 3:30 PM)
6.9: Cavaliers/Celtics Game 7 (Sun., 5/18/08, 3:30 PM)
6.7: Cavaliers/Pistons Game 7 (Sun., 5/21/06, 3:30 PM)
6.0: Lakers/Spurs Game 1 (Sun., 5/3/04, 3:30 PM)
Updated to include the correct rating.
