ABC Draws Highest-Rated "NBA Sunday Showcase" Broadcast Since 2015 for Cleveland Cavaliers-Boston Celtics Showdown

Sunday's collision of NBA Eastern Conference powerhouses, in which the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James defeated the Boston Celtics and Kyrie Irving 121-99, helped ABC generate its highest-rated NBA Sunday Showcase broadcast since 2015, according to metered market ratings from Nielsen.

The broadcast delivered a 3.6 metered market rating, up 57 percent from last year's San Antonio-New York game (2.3). It peaked at a 4.0 from 5:15-5:30 p.m. and again from 5:45-6 p.m. ET. The Cavaliers-Celtics game now stands as the fourth-highest rated NBA broadcast of the 2017-18 season, across all networks.

Sunday's broadcast drew a 20.5 rating in the Cleveland market and an 8.1 rating in the Columbus market. The rest of the top five markets include Norfolk (6.5), Dayton (6.2), and Birmingham (5.5). It drew a 5.5 rating in the Boston market.

Through two games, ABC's NBA Sunday Showcase series is averaging a 2.7 metered market rating this season, up 27 percent from a 2.1 last year.

ABC Draws Most-Watched NBA Sunday Showcase Broadcast In Five Years For Cleveland Cavaliers-Boston Celtics Game

Up 62 Percent From Last Year

Sunday's showdown between NBA Eastern Conference heavyweights, in which the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James defeated the Boston Celtics and Kyrie Irving 121-99, helped ABC draw its most-watched NBA Sunday Showcase presented by the United States Marine Corps broadcast in five years (since Feb. 10, 2013), according to Nielsen.

The broadcast delivered an average of 4,635,000 viewers, up 62 percent from 2,867,000 viewers for last year's comparable game between San Antonio and New York. It peaked with 5,364,000 viewers from 5:15-5:30 p.m. ET.

ABC's NBA Sunday Showcase presented by the United States Marine Corps series is averaging 3,570,000 viewers so far this season, up 32 percent from 2,710,000 at this time last year.