Wednesday Cable Final Nationals: Cavaliers-Celtics Deliver Third-Best ESPN NBA Game Viewership of This Season To-Date

As further proof of the NBA’s positive ratings this regular season, only the Christmas Day matchup of 76ers at Knicks (3.427 million viewers) and Warriors at Thunder on Thanksgiving Eve (3.23 million) outdrew this night’s Cavaliers-Celtics as among this regular season’s top ESPN NBA game telecasts.

What follows are the Live + Same Day rating results for the night’s top ten cable telecasts in total viewers and adults 18-49 as well as selected other programs on Wednesday, January 3 (with the night’s cable ranks according to total viewers and adults 18-49 in parentheses):

Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour (A&E, 9:00 PM, 61 min.)
– 0.722 million viewers (#55)
– 0.21 A18-49 (#66)

Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour (A&E, 10:01 PM, 64 min.)
– 0.636 million viewers (#69)
– 0.17 A18-49 (#84)

King of the Hill (ADSM, 8:00 PM, 30 min.)
– 0.691 million viewers (#62)
– 0.30 A18-49 (#29)

American Dad (ADSM, 8:30 PM, 30 min.)
– 0.786 million viewers (#52)
– 0.35 A18-49 (#24)

The Cleveland Show (ADSM, 9:00 PM, 30 min.)
– 0.849 million viewers (#45)
– 0.42 A18-49 (#15)

American Dad (ADSM, 9:30 PM, 30 min.)
– 1.034 million viewers (#33)
– 0.52 A18-49 (#12)

Bob’s Burgers (ADSM, 10:00 PM, 30 min.)
– 1.254 million viewers (#26)
– 0.63 A18-49 (#10)

Bob’s Burgers (ADSM, 10:30 PM, 30 min.)
– 1.302 million viewers (#24)
– 0.66 A18-49 (#8)

Real Housewives of New Jersey (BRAVO, 9:00 PM, 60 min.)
– 1.305 million viewers (#23)
– 0.51 A18-49 (#14)

Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN, 8:00 PM, 60 min.)
– 1.252 million viewers (#27)
– 0.27 A18-49 (#41)

Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN, 9:00 PM, 60 min.)
– 1.118 million viewers (#30)
– 0.26 A18-49 (#44)

Lead With Jake Tapper (CNN, 10:00 PM, 60 min.)
– 1.058 million viewers (#32)
– 0.24 A18-49 (#52)

Street Outlaws Special (DISC, 9:00 PM, 60 min.)
– 0.972 million viewers (#36)
– 0.32 A18-49 (#26)

Fast N Loud: Demolition (DISC, 10:04 PM, 61 min.)
– 0.647 million viewers (#67)
– 0.19 A18-49 (#78)

Vampirina (DISJR, 8:00 PM, 25 min.)
– 0.904 million viewers (#39)
– 0.23 A18-49 (#57)

Puppy Dog Pals (DISJR, 8:30 PM, 25 min.)
– 0.695 million viewers (#61)
– 0.17 A18-49 (#84)

PJ Masks (DISJR, 8:55 PM, 25 min.)
– 0.696 million viewers (#60)
– 0.17 A18-49 (#84)

Mickey and the Roadster (DISJR, 9:20 PM, 25 min.)
– 0.714 million viewers (#56)
– 0.17 A18-49 (#84)

Andi Mack (DSNY, 8:00 PM, 30 min.)
– 0.787 million viewers (#51)
– 0.15 A18-49 (#96)

Total Divas (E!, 9:00 PM, 60 min.)
– 0.684 million viewers (#64)
– 0.29 A18-49 (#34)

NBA Pre-Game (ESPN, 7:00 PM, 61 min.)
– 0.903 million viewers (#40)
– 0.62 HH
– 0.38 A18-49 (#19)
– 0.38 A18-34

NBA Regular Season: Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics (ESPN, 8:01 PM, 135 min.)
– 3.174 million viewers (#2)
– 2.01 HH
– 1.29 A18-49 (#1)
– 1.35 A18-34

NBA Post-Game (ESPN, 10:16 PM, 19 min.)
– 2.714 million viewers (#5)
– 1.78 HH
– 1.10 A18-49 (#2)
– 1.14 A18-34

NBA Regular Season: Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers (ESPN, 10:35 PM, 133 min.)
– 1.955 million viewers (#15)
– 1.32 HH
– 0.81 A18-49 (#3)
– 0.89 A18-34

College Basketball Regular Season: North Carolina at Florida State (ESPN2, 7:00 PM, 126 min.)
– 0.826 million viewers (#47)
– 0.57 HH
– 0.24 A18-49 (#52)
– 0.18 A18-34

Iron Chef: Behind the Battle (FOOD, 8:00 PM, 60 min.)
– 0.714 million viewers (#56)
– 0.22 A18-49 (#62)

Iron Chef Showdown (FOOD, 9:00 PM, 60 min.)
– 0.767 million viewers (#53)
– 0.23 A18-49 (#57)

Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, 8:00 PM, 60 min.)
– 2.716 million viewers (#4)
– 0.25 A18-49 (#47)

Hannity (FOXNC, 9:00 PM, 60 min.)
– 2.828 million viewers (#3)
– 0.28 A18-49 (#37)

The Ingraham Angle (FOXNC, 10:00 PM, 60 min.)
– 2.237 million viewers (#10)
– 0.25 A18-49 (#47)

Grown-Ish (FRFM, 8:00 PM, 31 min.)
– 0.950 million viewers (#37)
– 0.40 A18-49 (#16)

Grown-Ish (FRFM, 8:31 PM, 31 min.)
– 0.920 million viewers (#38)
– 0.39 A18-49 (#18)

Property Brothers (HGTV, 9:00 PM, 60 min.)
– 1.901 million viewers (#16)
– 0.38 A18-49 (#19)

House Hunters (HGTV, 10:00 PM, 30 min.)
– 1.796 million viewers (#17)
– 0.36 A18-49 (#23)

House Hunters International (HGTV, 10:30 PM, 30 min.)
– 1.637 million viewers (#18)
– 0.30 A18-49 (#29)

Vikings (HIST, 9:00 PM, 61 min.)
– 2.031 million viewers (#14)
– 0.52 A18-49 (#12)

Knightfall (HIST, 10:01 PM, 61 min.)
– 1.190 million viewers (#29)
– 0.24 A18-49 (#52)

Murder in the Heartland (ID, 9:00 PM, 60 min.)
– 1.326 million viewers (#22)
– 0.28 A18-49 (#37)

Homicide Hunter Lt. Joe Kenda (ID, 10:00 PM, 60 min.)
– 1.562 million viewers (#19)
– 0.38 A18-49 (#19)

Little Women Atl Short (LIF, 8:50 PM, 10 min.)
– 0.706 million viewers (#58)
– 0.23 A18-49 (#57)

Little Women Atl (LIF, 9:00 PM, 62 min.)
– 0.888 million viewers (#42)
– 0.32 A18-49 (#26)

Terra’s Big House (LIF, 10:02 PM, 60 min.)
– 0.687 million viewers (#63)
– 0.22 A18-49 (#62)

All In with Chris Hayes (MSNBC, 8:00 PM, 60 min.)
– 2.129 million viewers (#11)
– 0.29 A18-49 (#34)

Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC, 9:00 PM, 60 min.)
– 3.241 million viewers (#1)
– 0.40 A18-49 (#16)

Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell (MSNBC, 10:00 PM, 60 min.)
– 2.661 million viewers (#6)
– 0.30 A18-49 (#29)

Catfish: The Tv Show Season 7 (MTV, 10:00 PM, 61 min.)
– 0.591 million viewers (#72)
– 0.30 A18-49 (#29)

Full House (NAN, 8:00 PM, 30 min.)
– 0.860 million viewers (#44)
– 0.23 A18-49 (#57)

Full House (NAN, 8:30 PM, 30 min.)
– 0.732 million viewers (#54)
– 0.21 A18-49 (#66)

Full House (NAN, 9:00 PM, 30 min.)
– 0.641 million viewers (#68)
– 0.17 A18-49 (#84)

Full House (NAN, 9:30 PM, 30 min.)
– 0.661 million viewers (#66)
– 0.19 A18-49 (#78)

Fresh Prince of Bel Air (NAN, 10:00 PM, 30 min.)
– 0.516 million viewers (#83)
– 0.16 A18-49 (#91)

Fresh Prince of Bel Air (NAN, 10:30 PM, 30 min.)
– 0.507 million viewers (#84)
– 0.18 A18-49 (#83)

Peppa Pig (NKJR, 8:00 PM, 30 min.)
– 0.697 million viewers (#59)
– 0.15 A18-49 (#96)

Paw Patrol (NKJR, 9:30 PM, 30 min.)
– 0.670 million viewers (#65)
– 0.15 A18-49 (#96)

The Big Bang Theory (TBS, 8:00 PM, 30 min.)
– 2.066 million viewers (#13)
– 0.63 A18-49 (#10)

The Big Bang Theory (TBS, 8:30 PM, 30 min.)
– 2.423 million viewers (#8)
– 0.73 A18-49 (#7)

The Big Bang Theory (TBS, 9:00 PM, 30 min.)
– 2.535 million viewers (#7)
– 0.80 A18-49 (#4)

The Big Bang Theory (TBS, 9:30 PM, 30 min.)
– 2.403 million viewers (#9)
– 0.74 A18-49 (#5)

The Big Bang Theory (TBS, 10:00 PM, 30 min.)
– 2.118 million viewers (#12)
– 0.64 A18-49 (#9)

My 600-Lb Life: Where Are They Now? (TLC, 8:00 PM, 123 min.)
– 0.864 million viewers (#43)
– 0.29 A18-49 (#34)

Dr. Pimple Popper (TLC, 10:03 PM, 61 min.)
– 1.106 million viewers (#31)
– 0.37 A18-49 (#22)

The Librarians (TNT, 8:00 PM, 60 min.)
– 1.248 million viewers (#28)
– 0.26 A18-49 (#44)

Expedition Unknown (TRAV, 9:00 PM, 60 min.)
– 0.900 million viewers (#41)
– 0.25 A18-49 (#47)

Impractical Jokers: Inside Jokes (TRU, 10:30 PM, 30 min.)
– 0.482 million viewers (#91)
– 0.22 A18-49 (#62)

Black Ink Crew 6 (VH1, 9:00 PM, 60 min.)
– 1.417 million viewers (#20)
– 0.74 A18-49 (#5)

Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research