ABC wrapped up the NBA Finals last night with an 18.9 overnight rating for Game 7 of the Cavaliers-Warriors series, marking the best figure for any NBA game since NBC drew a 22.9 overnight for the deciding Game 6 of the Bulls-Jazz NBA Finals in '98. The figure is the best for any sports telecast on ABC or ESPN since '06 (including football). Last night's telecast peaked at a 25.5 rating from 10:30-10:45pm ET and will give ABC a win in primetime for the 55th straight time the net has aired an NBA Finals game. Cavs-Warriors Game 7 is up from the most-recent seventh game of an NBA Finals series -- a 17.7 for Heat-Spurs in '13. Last night's game also was up from an 18.2 overnight for Lakers-Celtics Game 7 in '10. Cavs-Warriors Game 7 drew a 46.3 local rating in Cleveland-Akron and a 39.4 rating in S.F.-San Jose-Oakland, marking the second-best NBA game figure ever in both markets. WatchESPN drew 1.76 million unique viewers for the game, which is the streaming platform's best figure ever for an NBA game and best for a non-FIFA World Cup match. For the seven-game series, ABC averaged a 13.7 overnight, just below the 13.9 rating for the six-game NBA Finals last year and second-best for any NBA Finals since the five-game Lakers-76ers series drew a 14.8 in '01 (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
BEST OF THE BEST: SI.com's Richard Deitsch writes ABC's broadcast crew was "exceptional" during last night's telecast, as during the "key moments of the game ... the production team offered keen observations and multiple replays." The net used 30 cameras and 28 replay devices inside Oracle Arena, but the "shots of Cleveland fans celebrating in that city were just as valuable." The telecast also "benefited from James crying during his on-court interview" with ESPN's Doris Burke (SI.com, 6/20). Newsday's Neil Best writes on Twitter, "Pretty much everything about ABC/ESPN production of #Game7 of #NBAFinals was first rate, starting with Fordham's own Mike Breen" (TWITTER.com, 6/20). In Tampa, Tom Jones writes the ABC broadcast team of Breen, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson was "stellar" throughout the NBA Finals. Jones: "Here's hoping that Van Gundy and Jackson never get coaching jobs because they make up what might the best NBA broadcasting team ever" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 6/20).
KIND GESTURE: In N.Y., Bob Raissman named ESPN and Turner Sports "Dude of the Week" for "putting their hearts ahead of business as usual." TNT's Craig Sager suited up Thursday night for Game 6 to work the sidelines in a "special moment courtesy of some caring folks at ESPN and Turner." It "was a treat for fans, for the sport and, most importantly, for Sager" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/19).
