5/29 – Celtics/ Heat East Final Gets off to Strong Start

Though not as big a draw as last year’s Heat/Bulls series on TNT, Game 1 between the Celtics and Heat earned strong numbers on ESPN. Game 1 of the Celtics/Heat NBA Eastern Conference Finals drew a 6.6 overnight rating on ESPN Monday night, up 25% from Thunder/Mavericks Game 1 on a Tuesday last year (5.3), and up 20% from Celtics/Magic Game 1 on a Sunday afternoon in 2010 (5.5, ABC). Compared to Game 1 of last year’s Heat/Bulls series on TNT, which aired on a Sunday night, Monday’s game was down 11% from a 7.4 overnight, reports Sports Media Watch.