In a feat perhaps more impressive than winning 27 straight games, the Miami Heat made the NBA a relevant television draw during the NCAA Tournament.
Wednesday’s Heat/Bulls NBA regular season game, which ended Miami’s 27-game winning streak, earned a 3.0 overnight rating on ESPN — the fifth-highest overnight ever for a regular season game on the network.
Earlier in the streak, Heat/Celtics earned a 3.1 overnight — ESPN’s third best for a regular season game.
Locally, ESPN’s telecast earned a 6.6 rating in Miami-Ft. Lauderdale and a 5.0 in Chicago. In both markets, the game was the third-highest rated NBA regular season game ever on ESPN.
Based on preliminary data, the game also drew a 10.1 rating on Sun Sports in Miami-Ft. Lauderdale.
(Tuesday’s numbers from ESPN, Fox Sports)
