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NBA Playoff Ratings Surge to Second-Highest Levels in Over a Decade

Viewership climbs 2–3% year over year as marquee matchups and major networks drive record shares entering the conference finals.

May 17, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) skates in warmups prior to the game against the Dallas Stars in game six of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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May 16, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) celebrates his three point shot against the Boston Celtics with guard Josh Hart (3) during the fourth quarter of game six in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Overview

  • NBA playoff games are averaging 3.85 million viewers across all platforms, marking the second-highest viewership since 2014.
  • ABC, ESPN, and TNT are delivering a 10.1 TV share, up 23% from last year, reflecting live sports' growing dominance in TV viewership.
  • The first two rounds of the playoffs averaged 4.17 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, and TNT/truTV, a 3.3% year-over-year increase.
  • Celtics-Knicks was the top-rated second-round series, averaging 5.36 million viewers per game, with Game 6 peaking at 6.6 million.
  • Sunday’s Nuggets-Thunder Game 7 drew 6.34 million viewers on ABC, the fifth-most-watched game of the playoffs despite a lopsided score.