Overview
- The league said the Oct. 21–22 doubleheader averaged 6.41 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, making it the most-watched Opening Night on record.
- Philadelphia’s 76ers–New York Knicks primetime game averaged 7.71 million viewers and peaked at 9.1 million, with the 76ers winning 106–100.
- Nielsen and Adobe Analytics reported the 7.71 million split into about 5.98 million linear TV viewers and roughly 1.7 million streaming viewers for the primetime game.
- LeBron James’ debut for the 76ers was widely cited as a major ratings driver, and the late window between Oklahoma City and San Antonio averaged about 4.8–4.85 million viewers.
- Analysts caution that recent changes to Nielsen’s methodology and new streaming measurement mean the totals are not directly comparable to older benchmarks, but the results signal strong early momentum for the NBA’s NBC/Peacock rights deal.