Even opposite the Academy Awards, Sunday’s matchup between the Knicks and Heat scored ESPN’s third-largest regular season NBA audience since reacquiring rights to the league in ’02.
The Knicks’ win over the Heat drew a 2.7 U.S. rating and 4.213 million viewers on ESPN Sunday night, up 170% in ratings and 199% in viewership from the game that aired opposite the Oscars last year (WSH/BOS: 1.0, 1.410M).
Knicks/Heat ranks as the most-viewed NBA game of the season on ESPN, topping the previous high set by Bulls/Knicks on Christmas Day (4.017M).
More broadly, the game ranks as the third-most viewed regular season matchup on ESPN since the network reacquired NBA rights in 2002. Only Lakers/Rockets in January ’03 (4.882M) and Pistons/Pacers on Christmas Day ’04 (4.325M) did better.
Three of the five most-viewed games on ESPN — and five of the top ten — have taken place this season alone.
In the nightcap, Hawks/Trail Blazers drew a 1.2 and 1.740 million viewers.
