Literally half of Cleveland watched Game 3 of the NBA Finals
Ratings for the 2015 NBA Finals continue to shatter ABC records. The craziest stat: Game 3 achieved a 49.0 rating in Cleveland.
The 2015 NBA Finals continues to be a ratings bonanza for ABC and its affiliates. Game 3 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors earned an overnight rating of 13.7 nationally, and an incredible 49.0 rating in the Cleveland market.
The Cavaliers' 96-91 win over the Warriors on Tuesday night was the highest rated NBA game ever in Northeast Ohio, according to George Thomas of Ohio.com, and the most-watched NBA Finals Game 3 in history. The huge ratings continue a trend as fans from all over the country flock to TVs to watch LeBron James try to bring Cleveland its first championship in decades.
All three ABC broadcasts of the Finals have set records for the network, with Game 3 representing a 33 percent increase in audience size from last year’s 10.3 rating. Ohio has been leading the charge, with Columbus coming in as the No. 3 market for the broadcast behind Cleveland and San Francisco, which posted a 31.6 rating. Rounding out the top five markets were Memphis and Atlanta.
The 49.0 rating in Cleveland means that 49 percent of all households with TVs in the area were turned to the game. That’s an absurd number the likes of which even the Cleveland Browns rarely meet. During the 2013 NFL season, the Browns averaged a 29.0 rating. Far more people in the region watched Cavaliers-Warriors on Tuesday night.
That number also doesn’t include bars or other public viewing places, so it’s not unreasonable to say that roughly half of Cleveland was watching the NBA on Tuesday night. Given that fact, it should be little surprise that the broadcast set ratings records in the area. From a business perspective, the 2015 NBA Finals is looking like a major success so far.
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