The last game of the 2013 NBA Finals made up for dips earlier in the series. Overnight returns for the Miami Heat's game 7 championship win over the Chicago Blackhawks place it is as the second-highest-rated NBA game to ever air on ABC. The game delivered a 17.7 overnight rating, according to Nielsen, with the telecast peaking near the game's conclusion with a 22.6 rating.
Fast National returns also have the game earning an initial 8.7 rating with adults 18-49. That number will also move up the dial in final returns, and the last game 7, in 2010, came in two tenths of a point lower in comparable early returns.
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Early entries in the series had been coming in shy of 2012, but the tight race between both teams ultimately brought the finals all the way to game 7. Last year, the highest-rated in 8 years, ended in game 5 with a 12.5 overnight rating. Final ratings and total viewership with time zone adjustments taken into account won't be available until later Friday.
Elsewhere on ABC, initial returns give Jimmy Kimmel Live: Game Night a 3.2 rating adults 18-49 and the pre-game show a 4.5 rating.
Hell's Kitchen (1.9 adults) was mostly steady on Fox, despite the still competition. The episode was down just a tenth of a point from last week, leading into an even Does Someone Have to Go (0.9 adults). Fox averaged a 1.4 rating with adults 18-49 and 3.7 million viewers.
Encores averaged a 1.0 adults rating and 5.9 million viewers on CBS.
NBC was also in repeats, with the exception of the season finale of Hannibal. The freshman drama was even with last week's low, averaging a 0.7 rating among adults 18-49. The network pulled a 0.6 adults rating and 1.8 million viewers for the night.
Univision averaged a 1.4 rating with adults 18-49 and 3.6 million viewers, while Telemundo earned a 0.7 adults rating and 1.6 million viewers.
