An overtime thriller scored the NBA’s highest regular season rating in three years.
Saturday’s Warriors/Thunder NBA regular season game delivered a 3.2 final rating and 5.3 million viewers on ABC, marking the highest rated and most-watched regular season game on any network, excluding Christmas, since Lakers/Heat in 2013 (4.1, 6.5M).
The Warriors’ overtime win, which peaked with 8.1 million viewers from 11:15-11:30 PM ET, also ranks as the highest rated Saturday night regular season game since 1999 — with the caveat that nationally televised games on the night were rare until this season.
Since the current TV deal began in 2002, only one other regular season game on any network has had a larger audience without airing on Christmas or featuring LeBron James or Kobe Bryant — Mavericks/Knicks in 2012 at the height of hype surrounding then-Knicks G Jeremy Lin (5.9M).
For the season, Warriors/Thunder ranks as the third-most watched game regardless of day, trailing only Bulls/Thunder (5.9M) and Cavaliers/Warriors (11.2M) on Christmas Day. It is tied for second place in ratings, matching Bulls/Thunder.
Viewership does not include the streaming audience on WatchESPN (84K).
(Sat. numbers from ESPN)
