Beginning Tuesday, we'll see a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals, which pitted Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks against Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O'Neal and the Miami Heat. Miami has famously been a huge TV ratings draw since adding LeBron James and Chris Bosh almost a year ago; the Heat's Eastern Conference Finals series against the Chicago Bulls included three of the four most highly-viewed NBA games in cable TV history.
NBA Hopes For Ratings Much Better Than 2006 Finals Between Heat And Mavericks
But the 2006 Finals didn’t exactly set the Nielsens on fire. The six-game series did an average rating of 8.5 -- that means an estimated 8.5 percent of all households in the United States with a television were tuned in at any given point. That rates as the eighth-lowest ratings the Finals have seen since 1976, per a Wikipedia table.
And it isn't as if LeBron is a surefire Finals ratings winner; in fact, James' only previous Finals appearance, in 2007 as the Cleveland Cavaliers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs, drew the worst ratings since at least 1976, a 6.4. For comparison's sake, Heat-Bulls this season -- on cable television, not network TV like the Finals -- drew a 6.4. So expect LeBron to easily best his last Finals appearance.
Drawing the best post-Jordan ratings will be a steeper task; the 2001 Finals between the Lakers and 76ers drew a 12.1. In the Heat's conference finals series, ratings were up 25 percent over last year's Magic-Celtics showdown. A 25 percent improvement on last year's Lakers-Celtics finals would project a 13.2. It's possible, but might require a very competitive series.
See More:
