The Cleveland Cavaliers’ showstopping victory against the Golden State Warriors helped ABC score a ratings record, with early Nielsen estimates putting the game at 18.9 in overnight ratings, which makes the match-up the highest-rated sports telecast on ABC or ESPN in a decade, and the top score ABC has ever seen from an NBA broadcast.
The second-highest rated NBA game ever on ABC was Game 7 between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics in 2010, which drew an 18.2 overnight rating.
The clash between the Cavs and the Warriors was up 7 percent from the most recent time the NBA Finals went to Game 7, when Miami Heat took on the San Antonio Spurs in 2013 and drew a 17.7 overnight rating.
Final numbers will be available later today.
Laura Prudom © 2016 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC