For the second time this postseason, a surprising Game 1 rout of the Cavs delivered strong numbers for ABC.
Sunday’s Cavaliers-Celtics NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 earned a 5.4 overnight rating on ABC, up 15% from the same matchup last year, which aired on a Wednesday night on TNT (4.7), and up 32% from Raptors-Cavaliers in 2016, which aired on a Tuesday night on ESPN (4.1).
The 5.4 is the highest for Game 1 of the East Finals since 2015 (Cavs-Hawks: 5.6, TNT).
Compared to Game 1 of last year’s Spurs-Warriors Western Conference Finals, which aired in the same Sunday afternoon window on ABC, overnights fell 4% from a 5.6. Overnights also slipped compared to Heat-Pacers Game 1 in 2014, LeBron James‘ only other conference final game on ABC (5.8).
Boston’s blowout win, which peaked with a 6.5 from 5:30-5:45 PM ET, tied the highest overnight rating of the NBA Playoffs. Pacers-Cavs Game 7 had a 5.4 on ABC in the first round. That game aired in an earlier 1 PM ET timeslot.
With Cleveland having a much more difficult time in the Eastern Conference playoffs than last year, Cavs games have been the biggest draws of the postseason. Sunday marked the sixth Cavs game this postseason with at least a 4.4 overnight, more than all the non-Cavalier games combined.
For the weekend, Cavs-Celtics ratings topped all other sporting events in the metered markets. Sunday’s final round of The Players Championship, which aired directly opposite the game, was a distant second (4.2).
[Numbers from ESPN PR 5.14]
