The intrigue of the NBA playoffs has been reaching record highs this year. The series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Golden State Warriors was can't-miss television, and the NBA Finals clash was no different.
Overall, these Finals between the Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers have been the most watched since Michael Jordan was heading the ship of the Chicago Bulls dynasty.
Game 2 was the second-highest rated NBA game ever on ABC, but their all-time classic Game 7 shattered the record books.
According to ESPN, Sunday night's epic received a rating of 18.9, the highest mark for a NBA game on ABC, ever. It topped the previous leader, Game 7 of the 2010 Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, at 18.2.
Additionally, the release from ESPN stated that the game set even more records on their digital platforms:
Last night’s Game 7 became the most-watched NBA game ever on WatchESPN across all metrics. It generated 96,276,000 total minutes streamed, 1,760,000 unique viewers and an average minute audience of 598,000 viewers, which is the most for a non-World Cup event ever on WatchESPN.
The instant-classic featured LeBron James delivering on his promise to bring a championship to Cleveland, finishing with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. With about a minute to go, it was Kyrie Irving who sunk the eventual game-winning three-pointer, stunning the Warriors faithful at Oracle Arena.
It will be hard for next year's Finals to match these in terms of viewership and intrigue, unless the Cavs and Warriors meet again for a grudge match.
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