TV Ratings: 11.9M Watched NBA Game 7

Warner Bros. Discovery Sports said that TNT’s coverage of Game 7 of the National Basketball Association’s Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics drew 11.9 million total viewers, up 21% from a year ago when the same teams played a Game 7.

The telecast market TNT’s third most-watched NBA game ever, according to NextTV.com.

TNT covered the Eastern Conference Finals, which averaged 7.4 million viewers, up 6% in audience from last year and the highest-rated game in 10 years.

The series started with Miami taking the first three games, setting up the potential for a sweep, which would have been a financial disaster for TNT. Networks sell commercials based on a five-game series. A sweep means only four games worth of inventory airs, minimizing the ad revenue potential. 

Boston battled back, taking the next three in a row, setting up Warner Bros. Sports for an ad revenue windfall, despite Miami’s lopsided 103-84 Game 7 victory.

The Western Conference Finals ended in a sweep for The Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN and ABC. The Denver Nuggets will play the Heat in the NBA Finals, which begin Thursday night on ABC.