The NBA’s new media rights deals are driving a surge in viewership early this season. Games across NBC, ESPN, and Amazon Prime Video are averaging 1.81 million viewers, up 27% from last year, while more than 87 million fans have watched at least part of a game, marking an 89% increase in league reach.
NBA games are averaging 1.81 million viewers across NBCUniversal, ESPN, and Amazon Prime Video through last week’s NBA Cup Final, according to SportsMediaWatch.
That’s up 27% from last year and marks the highest average at this point in a season since 2017. When games on NBA TV are included, the increase jumps to 53%, as the network is airing fewer games this season and has less impact on the average.
Nielsen has also changed its methodology this year, expanding out-of-home samples and combining traditional panel data with smart TVs, set-top boxes, and third-party data. While that helps, it doesn’t fully explain such a large jump in viewership.
Much of the credit goes to the league’s new media strategy. At this point last year, most games were cable-exclusive. This December, there won’t be a single cable-only game, as even ESPN’s Christmas Day windows are simulcast on ABC.
While streaming usually draws smaller audiences than linear TV, Prime Video has been nearly on par with last year, down only 3% from comparable windows. Notably, the Knicks-Spurs game drew 3.07 million viewers on Prime Video, slightly above last year’s Bucks-Thunder NBA Cup Final on ABC, which had 2.99 million viewers.
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