NBA Finals Game 2 ratings increase over last year

NEW YORK – The NBA Finals rematch is drawing a higher television audience than the first go-around between the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat.

Nielsen said Game 2 on Sunday delivered just over 15 million viewers on ABC and had a peak audience of 18,786,000 viewers from 7 to 7:30 p.m. The viewership translates to an 8.9 household rating. That is a 5 percent increase from last year’s Game 2, which drew an 8.5.

Through two games, the Finals are averaging more than 14.9 million viewers. That’s up 4 percent from last year, when LeBron James and the Heat beat the Spurs in a seven-game series.

The series is tied 1-1 heading back to Miami. Game 3 is tonight.