Overview
- League data says 87 million people have watched at least one minute of NBA games this season, up 89% year over year and the highest reach in 15 years.
- Sports Media Watch reports a 1.81 million average-minute audience across NBCUniversal, ESPN and Prime Video through the NBA Cup Final, up roughly 27% and the best at this point since 2017.
- Nielsen’s shift to a Big Data + Panel system and expanded out-of-home sampling this fall are boosting measured totals and limit direct comparisons to past seasons.
- Expanded distribution under the new rights deals—more broadcast windows on NBC/ABC and a new Prime Video package—has widened exposure compared with last season’s cable-heavy slate.
- Critics question the league’s focus on reach and seek clearer disclosure of streaming measurement for Peacock and Prime Video, even as Prime Video’s Cup Final registered 3.07 million viewers versus 2.99 million for last year’s ABC finale under prior methodology.