With the Dallas Mavericks closing out the Miami Heat last night, ABC generated its highest overnight rating for a Game 6 on the network. In addition, it surpassed last year’s Game 6 between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers which received a 12.3 rating, up 22%. Last night’s Game 6 hit a 15.0 rating which again won the night against all network competition. And as you can see from the press release, the game did fantastic ratings in both Dallas and Miami.
Here’s the statement from ESPN.
2011 NBA Finals Generate Highest-Rated Game 6 Ever on ABC
25th Consecutive Time NBA Finals Deliver Highest-Rated Program in Prime Time
The 2011 NBA Finals Game 6 on ABC – in which the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat 105-95 to win the franchise’s first NBA championship – generated a 15.0 overnight rating, the highest-rated Game 6 ever on the network (ESPN reacquired rights to the league in 2002-03), and the highest in 11 years, according to Nielsen. Last night’s Game 6 was the highest-rated program of the night in prime time, propelling ABC to win the night among households. It is the 25th consecutive time The Finals have generated the highest-rated program of the night.
The 15.0 overnight rating was up 35 percent compared to an 11.1 overnight rating for Game 6 of the 2006 Finals, when these same two teams met in The Finals. The overnight rating for last night’s broadcast was an increase of 22 percent over a 12.3 overnight rating for Game 6 last year between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers.
Last night’s Game 6 generated the third highest overnight rating for an NBA game on ABC, trailing only last year’s Game 7 (18.2 overnight rating, Lakers/Celtics) and Game 5 of the 2004 NBA Finals (15.5 overnight rating, Lakers/Pistons).
The game peaked with a 20.9 rating from 10:30-10:45 p.m. ET. Game 6 netted the highest-rated metered market rating ever for an NBA game in both markets (records through 2002-03) with a 39.8 in Dallas and a 36.2 in Miami.
And that will do it.
