ABC last night drew a 13.4 overnight rating for the Warriors' come-from-behind 118-113 win over the Cavaliers in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, up 14% from the same matchup last year but down 2% from two years ago, when Game 4 aired on a Tuesday night. Last year's Game 3, which drew an 11.8 overnight, was a 30-point win for the Cavs. Game 3 in '15 drew a 13.7 overnight for a five-point Cavs win. Last night's game peaked at a 15.6 rating from 11:30-11:45pm ET and is expected to give ABC a primetime win for the 58th straight night that an NBA Finals game has aired. Cleveland-Akron led all markets last night with a 35.3 local rating, followed by S.F.-Oakland-San Jose with a 32.7 rating. Rounding out the top five markets were Columbus (20.6), Memphis (19.4) and Atlanta (18.6). Through three NBA Finals games, ABC is averaging a 12.8 overnight, up 4% from a 12.3 last year, and up from a 12.2 overnight in '15. Meanwhile, last night set a number of streaming records for an NBA Finals Game 3, including unique viewers, average minute audience and total minutes streamed (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
UP THE UPTICK: CNBC’s Melissa Lee said sports ratings "are on fire now” both for the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final. CNBC’s Julia Boorstin noted both leagues “have drawn some massive numbers, which means big wins” for ABC and NBC. Boorstin: “ABC is seeing a ‘halo effect,’ a ratings lift in the show that follows. ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ had its highest-rated show in a year." She noted the rating surge "comes after a decline in viewership for the regular-season NFL games last fall, which raised some concerns that interest in live sports could be in decline.” CNBC contributor Pete Najarian said it was “overblown to say that people are not watching sports any longer because they are, they're just doing it in so many different ways.” CNBC contributor Brian Kelly said “streaming is where the growth is” (“Fast Money,” CNBC, 6/7).
GONE TOO SOON: The NBA held a moment of silence ahead of Game 3 for longtime VP/Broadcasting Todd Harris, who passed away Tuesday. During the second quarter, ESPN’s Mike Breen noted the NBA "lost a good man” in Harris. Breen said Harris was “one of those behind-the-scenes stars who organizations can’t do without. He was able to get things done because of the way he treated people every single day. He was great at his job, but where he really excelled was as a father." ESPN’s Mark Jackson: “A class act, a tremendous guy who that loved the game of basketball and loved the NBA” (“Warriors-Cavaliers,” ABC, 6/7).
