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NBA Midseason TV Audience Climbs to Highest Since 2018

A shift to broader broadcast windows boosted reach, with NBC’s return delivering the biggest lift.

Overview

  • Through the All-Star break, NBA games averaged 1.80 million viewers across NBC, ESPN/ABC and Prime Video, up 16% year over year and the best midseason mark since 2018.
  • Total reach rose 87% to more than 138 million, the highest since 2011, while including NBA TV lifts the overall year-over-year viewership gain to 38% due to a lighter NBA TV slate.
  • NBC is averaging 2.6 million viewers, up 97% versus comparable windows that largely aired on TNT last season, with Peacock-only games excluded from Nielsen ratings.
  • ESPN/ABC is averaging 2.06 million viewers, up 18%, and nine of the ten most-watched game windows aired on broadcast networks, with the lone exception being the NBA Cup Final on Prime Video.
  • Prime Video is averaging 1.06 million viewers across 44 games, or 1.21 million for 30 comparable windows (down 7%), while delivering a younger audience profile and gains in key adult demos.