Game 7 of Heat-Pacers is third-most watched program in TNT history

TNT has been airing NBA games since 1988. They have never had an audience like they did on Monday night, as LeBron James and the Heat advanced to the NBA Finals in a “win or go home” Game 7.

Despite a largely uncompetitive game, but one with a lot of controversy and buzz to it, Game 7 drew 11.5 million viewers, an all-time high for TNT’s NBA coverage. It was the third-most watched program in network history. The game peaked with 13.3 million viewers from 10-10:30 p.m. ET. The game drew more viewers than one game (Game 3) of the 2012 World Series. Post-game show “Inside the NBA” drew a 3.3 rating, its highest-rated show since May of 2011.

Locally, the game drew massive ratings in Miami. A 31.7 rating in Miami is flat out massive, meaning nearly a third of the people in the city were tuned in. In losing Indianapolis, the game drew a 21.9.

Overall, the Eastern Conference Finals was up eight percent from last year’s TNT-covered Western Conference Finals, averaging 8.4 million viewers through seven games.

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