Heat setting local ratings records with winning streak

The Miami Heat are unquestionably the story in professional sports right now, continuing to find magical ways (you know, besides having the best player on earth) to continue a 24-game winning streak. The biggest beneficiary, besides their fans? Their local television rightsholder, SunSports.

The Fox-owned Florida RSN is drawing insane numbers for the Heat right now. Monday’s game against the Celtics drew a 12.2 rating in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale market, a record for the network, counting regular season and playoffs. If you combine the ESPN’s coexisting of the game (which SunSports handily beat), upwards of 17 percent of the Miami market was tuned into the Heat Monday night. The previous record for SunSports was an 11.3, which was set just eight days earlier with the game against the Indiana Pacers.

Last night’s dramatic Heat comeback against the Cleveland Cavaliers drew an 11.7 rating, with a peak number of 18.4 for the double-digit come-from-behind victory. During the streak, SunSports has averaged an 8.9 rating for Heat broadcasts, up 32 percent from the team’s season-to-date average.

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