ESPN/ABC would have liked the Miami-Oklahoma City NBA Finals to go six games. Or better yet, seven — given the series’ strong ratings.
Miami’s title-clinching Game 5 Thursday drew a 12.6 overnight, which translates into 12.6% of households in the 56 urban markets measured for overnights. That’s even with last year’s Dallas-Miami Game 5.
Heading into Game 5, the NBA Finals were averaging 11.6% of U.S. TV households — up 6% from last year’s finals — and were on track to draw the highest-rated five-game NBA Finals average since Denver-L.A. Lakers in 2004, when that five-game series averaged 13.3%.
But Miami-Oklahoma City will not top the 12.5% average for the 2010 NBA Finals, when the storied and big-market L.A. Lakers and Boston Celtics went to seven games.
While the finals had small-market teams — Miami ranks 16th in the U.S. while Oklahoma City is 44th — the markets performed unusually well. Game 5 drew 40.3% of Miami area households — a local record for an NBA game — while the game drew 39.8% in Oklahoma City.
WRITTEN BYÂ Michael Hiestand, USA TODAY & FULL STORY HERE
