NBA Finals Game 7: Second Highest-Rated NBA Game in ABC History

NBA Finals Game 7 on ABC - the Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs in a thriller to repeat as NBA Champions - delivered a 17.7 overnight rating, according to Nielsen. This is the second highest-rated NBA game in ABC history. The telecast peaked at a 22.6 from 11:30 p.m. - 11:45 p.m. ET.

Game 7 is also expected to mark the 37th consecutive time an NBA Finals telecast has won the night for all of television and is the 25th straight time it has delivered double-digit overnight ratings.

The game generated a 44.2 metered market rating in Miami, making it the highest-rated NBA game ever in the market. Additionally, Game 7 scored big in San Antonio with a 46.4.

The 2013 NBA Finals averaged a 12.4 metered market rating, up five percent from an 11.8 for the 2012 NBA Finals.

In addition, the Kia NBA Countdown pre-game show scored with a strong 5.4 overnight rating.

Digital records

Game 7 of The Finals on ABC live through special simulcasts on ESPN3 logged its largest NBA game ever with more than 32 million total minutes and an average minute audience of 189,000 across computers, smartphones, tablets, Xbox and Apple TV (source: Adobe SiteCatalyst). Additionally, NBA content across ESPN digital platforms generated over 115 million total minutes, the largest single day of the NBA Playoffs and nearly half of which were consumed on mobile properties. NBA content on ESPN.com also logged an average minute audience of 25,000 (up 64 percent compared to Games 1-6).

ESPN will televise the 2013 NBA Draft presented by State Farm on Thursday, June 27, at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Draft is also available via WatchESPN.

Quick Take for Thursday, June 20, 2013 (National Live + Same Day Program Ratings)

ABC Beats the Other Nets Combined by Wide Margins on Thursday, Marking its Highest Numbers on the Evening in 3 Years

On Average, ABC's 2013 "JKL Game Night" Surges by Double Digits Year to Year, With the Specials' 2nd-Largest-Ever Audience and Tying its Top Adult 18-49 Number

Game 7 of 2013 Stands as ABC's 2nd-Highest-Ever NBA Game And Qualifies as TV's Top Telecast in the 4 Months Since the "Oscars"

The NBA Finals Finishes Up Year to Year as the 2nd-Most-Watched Series Since 2004

Thursday Night (8:00-11:00 p.m.)

Overshadowing Thursday with coverage of the deciding Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals (Miami-San Antonio), ABC beat the other networks combined by wide margins (CBS, NBC, Fox and CW) in Total Viewers (+43% - 17.4 million vs. 12.1 million) and Adults 18-49 (+109% - 6.9/23 vs. 3.3/11). ABC dominated all 7 evenings of the 2013 NBA Finals among Adults 18-49, and each game of the series ranked as the No. 1 TV show of the night in Total Viewers and across all key Adults.

· In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, ABC scored its strongest Thursday in 3 years - since 6/17/10.

"Jimmy Kimmel Live Game Night" (Various Time Periods)

On average, the 2013 "Jimmy Kimmel Live Game Night" specials grew by double digits over last year in Total Viewers (+13% - 3.5 million vs. 3.1 million) and Adults 18-49 (+10% -1.1/4 vs. 1.0/4), delivering the annual program's 2nd-biggest audience and equaling its best young adult number.

"NBA Finals on ABC Game 7" (9:00 - 11:52 p.m. E.T.)

With the Miami Heat defeating the San Antonio Spurs to win its 2nd consecutive championship, ABC's NBA Finals Game 7 shot to the top of the night as Thursday's dominant No. 1 TV program in Total Viewers (26.3 million) and in each of the key Adult demographics: AD18-34 (10.5/36), AD18-49 (10.6/32) and AD25-54 (10.9/29). In fact in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, Game 7 qualified as TV's top telecast in 4 months - since ABC's "Oscar" broadcast in February on 02/24/13.

· In Total Viewers and all key Adult demos, Game 7 stood as ABC's 2nd-biggest-ever NBA game - behind only the seventh game of 2010 LA-Boston series on 6/17/10.

· Up by 5% over last year's Miami-Oklahoma series (17.7 million vs. 16.9 million), the 2013 NBA Finals finished as the 2nd-most-watched series since 2004.

Source: The Nielsen Company (National, Live + Same Day Program Ratings), 06/20/13.