The 2024-25 NBA campaign is rolling towards the playoffs, with less than a month to go before the regular season wraps up. One of the most popular debates surrounding the NBA this season has been about a potential drop in viewership, but ESPN made a big announcement on Tuesday that should alleviate some of those fears.
ESPN has a deal with the NBA to provide nationally televised games through the NBA on ABC, giving some of the biggest regular season games of the year. This includes several NBA Cup games, all five Christmas day matchups, and a bevy of postseason contests once they eventually roll around.
There's been chatter among fans that the league has lost viewers for their regular season games because of the product of play on the court. However, ESPN weighed in with a big revelation, as they shared that their viewership numbers for their NBA broadcasts this season are up 10% from last season.
"ABC's viewership for the 2024-25 NBA regular season was up 10 percent from last year, according to Nielsen. The 24-game slate averaged 2,683,000 viewers, compared to 2,436,000 viewers last season," Ronce Rajan wrote for ESPN Press Room.
With this jump in viewership, ESPN is having their best season since the 2021-22 campaign, indicating that their broadcasts are doing quite well, despite concerns about overall viewership for the league. When it comes to their high-profile games, ESPN is drawing in large audiences on a regular basis.
ESPN will be looking to finish off the 2024-25 campaign on a strong note, as they will broadcast a double-header on Wednesday, March 19. The Detroit Pistons will square off against the Miami Heat at 7:30 p.m. EST, while the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers will clash at 10 p.m. EST.
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This story was originally published March 18, 2025 at 3:55 PM.