Warriors’ OT Win Over Cavs In NBA Finals Game 1 Match 2017 Ratings

June 1, 2018

If last night’s 124 -114 Game 1 win in overtime by the Golden State Warriors over the Cleveland Cavaliers is any indication, we’re really in for one Hell of an NBA Finals this year.

Scuffles, suspensions, some very arguable calls by the refs, some very bad math by the Cavs’ J.R. Smith right at the end of regulation time, an awe inspiring and historic 51-points by Lebron James alone, 29-points from Steph Curry at home in Oakland, OT and the very apparent determination of two teams meeting for their fourth consecutive finals that everything was going to left out there on the court.

After LeBron James’ 51 PTS, 8 AST, 8 REB in Game 1… we look back at the best buckets from his 8 40+ point games of the 2018 postseason! #WhateverItTakes #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/1O4ZJESeSk

— NBA (@NBA) June 1, 2018

All of which added up to some strong ratings result for ABC and the NBA coming off the previous stages of a playoffs that has seen double digit upticks over last year already.

Scoring a 12.3 in metered market results, Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals was basically even with Game 1 of the 2017 match-up. That Warriors winning face-off with LeBron and crew at Oracle Arena on June 1 last year went on to garner 18.7 million viewers, which turned out to be the lowest viewership of a hard fought five game series eventually won by the Warriors 4-1. In context, this virtual match with 2017 comes in an environment when almost everyone and everything (I’m talking to you NFL) is down year to year in the ratings.

Interestingly and perhaps very telling of where this NBA Finals could go, the 14.9 ratings peak of last night’s Game 1 was up 7% from the best that last year’s Game 1 did in the 10:15 – 10:30 time period. That peak last night came in both the 11:15 – 11:30 and 11:30 – 11:45 time periods as the tied game went into OT. Having its best night since the Oscars earlier this year, ABC obviously cleaned up on broadcast and cable.

Now in its fourth season, so to speak, the GSW vs. Cavs Season 4 debut was down just 6% from the all-time Game 1 high of the 2016 opener in the early metrics. However, last night’s peak rating actually topped the best that June 2, 2016 game achieved – a rare bit of ratings history in the making

Unlike last year’s Finals opener, the NBA and ABC faced nothing but encores from the rest of the Big 4 last night. Up the cable dial, the primetime Scripps National Spelling Bee on ESPN saw Texas’ own Karthik Nemmani win with his correct recital of “koinonia.”

Now with one win on their sheet, the Warriors will be feeding off another homecourt advantage for Game 2 on Sunday. Let’s see what Lebron has to say about that – last night there was a Mad Man and an Avenger in the Warriors’ house.

📸😃 Jon Hamm, @Money23Green & @Renner4Real after tonight’s W! #DubNation pic.twitter.com/lsScoK9rrc

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) June 1, 2018

Category: celebrity gossip

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