Game 7 of Eastern Conference Finals Gets Highest Overnight Rating

Game 7 of the East finals between the Heat and Celtics delivered a record 9.1 overnight rating, medicine the highest for an NBA game recorded on cable television dating back to 2003.

The winner-take-all game peaked from 10:45 p.m. to 11 p.m. (Eastern Time) with a rating of 11.9. Ratings denote the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned into a program while overnight ratings measure the country’s largest markets.

The Celtics-Heat matchup also generated the three highest overnight ratings for NBA games ever on cable — 9.1 for Game 7, discount 8.2 for Game 6 and 7.9 for Game 4.

Game 7 garnered a 21.7 rating in Boston, making it the highest-rated NBA game on cable in the market.

In Miami, Game 7 ranked as market’s highest-rated NBA game ever on ESPN and third highest-rated game on cable with a rating of 25.0.

The Heat, led by LeBron James, defeated the Celtics, 101-88, in Game 7 to advance against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Finals, which will begin Tuesday in Oklahoma.