The competition on the basketball court beat out the talent contests on NBC, cutting into the ratings for the network's hit series "The Voice" on Tuesday night, according to preliminary numbers.
ABC's broadcast of Game 4 of the NBA Finals performed exceptionally well, grabbing a 5.5 rating/15 share in the adults 18-49 market in the 9-11 p.m. slot for the evening's top numbers.
With an 11.1 overnight audience rating, it was the biggest NBA Finals TV performance in seven years.
The showdown between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat was proceeded by "Jimmy Kimmel Live Game Night" at 8 p.m., which took a 2.2/8 in the demo and 6.4 million total viewers, and "NBA Countdown" at 8:30, which received a 2.9/9 in the demo and 7.3 million total viewers.
Also read: NBA Finals Ratings: Game 4 Performs Monster Dunk for ABC
Competing directly against the game on NBC from 9-11, "The Voice," which grabbed the No. 2 slot for the night, slipped 8 percent compared to last week's broadcast, taking a 4.5/12 in the demo and 12.2 million total viewers. "The Voice" was preceded by "America's Got Talent" at 8, which was down 16 percent from its premiere last week, taking a 3.6/12 in the demo and 12.7 million total viewers.
Fox's evening began with "MasterChef" at 8, which was up 6 percent over Monday's season premiere with a 1.9/6 in the demo and 4.5 million total viewers. The show was followed by back-to-back repeats of "Raising Hope" at 9 and 9:30, which both took a 1.1/3 in the demo and received a 2.7 million and 2.8 million viewers, respectively.
CBS aired repeats throughout the evening, with "NCIS" at 8 garnering a 1.3/4 in the demo and 8.9 million total viewers. "NCIS: Los Angeles" the following hour also took a 1.3/4 in the demo with 8.8 million total viewers, and "The Good Wife" at 10 received a 0.9/3 in the demo and 5.9 million total viewers.