2011-12 NBA Regular Season Viewership

Posted by | 04/28/2012 at 1:27 pm

With the lockout-shortened 2011-12 NBA regular season complete, here is a look at viewership for each individual game on ABC, TNT and ESPN.

The 2011-12 season was successful for the four NBA television partners. ABC, TNT, and NBA TV each had their most-viewed regular seasons ever (with the caveat that NBA TV has been a Nielsen-rated network for only two seasons). ESPN was the only network to suffer a decline compared to last year, owing in part to a slew of games in unattractive timeslots, but still had its second-most viewed season.

The most-viewed telecast of the season was Bulls/Lakers on Christmas Day (11.014M), with Heat/Mavericks earlier in the afternoon ranking second (9.023M). Heat/Lakers on March 4 (6.997M), Mavericks/Knicks on February 19 (5.916M), and Celtics/Knicks on Christmas Day (5.860M) rounded out the top five.

Of the 45 most-viewed games this season, 41 involved either the Heat, Lakers or Knicks.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the least-viewed game of the season on ESPN/ABC or TNT was Suns/Timberwolves on April 9 (643K) — a Monday night game on ESPN2 that was added to the schedule after the lockout.

The bottom five also included the March 23 Celtics/Sixers (879K) and Nuggets/Jazz (729K) games on ESPN, the April 14 Suns/Spurs game on ESPN (888K), and Thursday’s Spurs/Warriors game on TNT (869K). With the exception of Spurs/Warriors, each of the five least-viewed games aired in telecast windows that were added after the lockout.

Game-by-Game Viewership For the 2011-12 NBA Regular Season
Ranked top-to-bottom
Excludes games on NBA TV

# Date Time Away Home Net Viewers (000)
1 Sun., 12/25/11 5:00 PM Bulls Lakers ABC
11,014
2 Sun., 12/25/11 2:30 PM Heat Mavs ABC
9,023
3 Sun., 3/4/12 3:30 PM Heat Lakers ABC
6,997
4 Sun., 2/19/12 1:00 PM Mavs Knicks ABC
5,916
5 Sun., 12/25/11 12:00 PM Celtics Knicks TNT
5,860
6 Sun., 1/29/12 3:30 PM Bulls Heat ABC
5,699
7 Sun., 2/19/12 3:30 PM Magic Heat ABC
5,496
8 Sun., 4/22/12 3:30 PM Thunder Lakers ABC
5,095
9 Thu., 2/23/12 7:00 PM Knicks Heat TNT
5,092
10 Sun., 3/4/12 1:00 PM Knicks Celtics ABC
4,996
11 Tue., 12/27/11 8:00 PM Celtics Heat TNT
4,548
12 Sun., 4/15/12 3:30 PM Mavs Lakers ABC
4,490
13 Thu., 1/19/12 8:00 PM Lakers Heat TNT
4,396
14 Sun., 4/1/12 3:30 PM Celtics Heat ABC
4,241
15 Sun., 4/15/12 1:00 PM Heat Knicks ABC
4,088
16 Sun., 2/12/12 3:30 PM Bulls Celtics ABC
4,069
17 Sun., 3/11/12 3:30 PM Celtics Lakers ABC
4,049
18 Thu., 4/12/12 8:00 PM Heat Bulls TNT
3,671
19 Thu., 2/23/12 9:30 PM Lakers Thunder TNT
3,665
20 Sun., 3/25/12 8:00 PM Thunder Heat ESPN
3,517
21 Thu., 3/29/12 10:30 PM Thunder Lakers TNT
3,486
22 Wed., 1/11/12 10:30 PM Heat Clippers ESPN
3,469
23 Sun., 4/8/12 1:00 PM Bulls Knicks ABC
3,447
24 Thu., 4/19/12 8:00 PM Bulls Heat TNT
3,417
25 Thu., 12/29/11 10:30 PM Knicks Lakers TNT
3,305
26 Tue., 12/27/11 10:30 PM Jazz Lakers TNT
3,284
27 Wed., 3/14/12 9:30 PM Heat Bulls ESPN
3,224
28 Thu., 2/9/12 8:00 PM Lakers Celtics TNT
3,112
29 Mon, 1/16/12 10:30 PM Mavs Lakers TNT
3,068
30 Thu., 1/5/12 8:00 PM Heat Hawks TNT
3,044
31 Mon, 3/12/12 8:00 PM Knicks Bulls ESPN
3,028
32 Sun., 12/25/11 10:30 PM Clippers Warriors ESPN
3,007
33 Fri., 2/10/12 8:00 PM Lakers Knicks ESPN
3,002
34 Wed., 4/4/12 8:00 PM Thunder Heat ESPN2
2,977
35 Sun., 4/1/12 1:00 PM Bulls Thunder ABC
2,869
36 Tue., 4/10/12 9:30 PM Knicks Bulls ESPN
2,834
37 Thu., 3/29/12 8:00 PM Mavs Heat TNT
2,799
38 Thu., 1/5/12 10:30 PM Lakers Blazers TNT
2,772
39 Fri., 1/13/12 10:30 PM Heat Nuggets ESPN
2,748
40 Tue., 4/17/12 8:00 PM Celtics Knicks TNT
2,716
41 Sun., 3/25/12 10:30 PM Grizzlies Lakers ESPN
2,637
42 Wed., 2/22/12 9:30 PM Lakers Mavs ESPN
2,569
43 Sun., 12/25/11 8:00 PM Magic Thunder ESPN
2,566
44 Fri., 2/3/12 10:30 PM Lakers Nuggets ESPN
2,535
45 Wed., 3/21/12 9:30 PM Lakers Mavs ESPN
2,520
46 Fri., 1/13/12 8:00 PM Bulls Celtics ESPN
2,461
47 Wed., 1/11/12 8:00 PM Mavs Celtics ESPN
2,450
48 Thu., 12/29/11 8:00 PM Mavs Thunder TNT
2,434
49 Thu., 2/16/12 8:00 PM Celtics Bulls TNT
2,429
50 Wed., 4/4/12 10:30 PM Lakers Clippers ESPN
2,421
51 Tue., 4/10/12 7:00 PM Celtics Heat ESPN
2,405
52 Mon, 3/12/12 10:30 PM Celtics Clippers ESPN
2,386
53 Mon, 1/16/12 8:00 PM Thunder Celtics TNT
2,362
54 Thu., 2/2/12 8:00 PM Bulls Knicks TNT
2,349
55 Tue., 4/17/12 10:30 PM Spurs Lakers TNT
2,336
56 Fri., 4/20/12 9:30 PM Lakers Spurs ESPN
2,328
57 Fri., 1/27/12 8:00 PM Knicks Heat ESPN
2,286
58 Sun., 3/4/12 7:00 PM Bulls Sixers ESPN
2,276
59 Tue., 4/24/12 8:00 PM Heat Celtics TNT
2,220
60 Sun., 2/12/12 7:00 PM Heat Hawks ESPN
2,215
61 Fri., 1/20/12 10:30 PM Wolves Clippers ESPN
2,204
62 Fri., 2/3/12 8:00 PM Knicks Celtics ESPN
2,195
63 Thu., 4/5/12 9:30 PM Celtics Bulls TNT
2,151
64 Thu., 3/1/12 10:30 PM Heat Blazers TNT
2,136
65 Wed., 1/18/12 10:30 PM Mavs Clippers ESPN
2,125
66 Thu., 3/8/12 8:00 PM Magic Bulls TNT
2,098
67 Fri., 2/17/12 10:30 PM Suns Lakers ESPN
2,085
68 Fri., 2/10/12 10:30 PM Thunder Jazz ESPN
2,068
69 Wed., 4/25/12 8:00 PM Clippers Knicks ESPN
2,046
70 Wed., 2/1/12 10:30 PM Clippers Jazz ESPN
2,039
71 Thu., 3/1/12 8:00 PM Thunder Magic TNT
2,027
72 Fri., 1/20/12 8:00 PM Lakers Magic ESPN
1,995
73 Thu., 4/19/12 10:30 PM Clippers Suns TNT
1,972
74 Thu., 1/19/12 10:30 PM Mavs Jazz TNT
1,965
75 Sun., 3/18/12 7:00 PM Magic Heat ESPN
1,949
76 Thu., 2/2/12 10:30 PM Nuggets Clippers TNT
1,942
77 Sun., 4/22/12 1:00 PM Knicks Hawks ESPN
1,940
78 Thu., 2/9/12 10:30 PM Thunder Kings TNT
1,929
79 Wed., 3/21/12 7:00 PM Knicks Sixers ESPN
1,921
80 Sun., 2/19/12 8:00 PM Nuggets Thunder ESPN
1,892
81 Wed., 2/1/12 8:00 PM Thunder Mavs ESPN
1,889
82 Sun., 3/4/12 9:30 PM Nuggets Spurs ESPN
1,867
83 Fri., 1/6/12 8:00 PM Bulls Magic ESPN
1,794
84 Tue., 4/24/12 10:30 PM Suns Jazz TNT
1,758
85 Mon., 3/19/12 8:00 PM Bulls Magic TNT
1,748
86 Sat., 4/21/12 8:00 PM Mavs Bulls ESPN
1,745
87 Thu., 2/16/12 10:30 PM Clippers Blazers TNT
1,732
88 Thu., 1/12/12 8:00 PM Knicks Grizzlies TNT
1,716
89 Wed., 4/18/12 8:00 PM Magic Celtics ESPN
1,715
90 Wed., 4/11/12 8:00 PM Knicks Bucks ESPN
1,684
91 Thu., 1/26/12 10:30 PM Grizzlies Clippers TNT
1,680
92 Wed., 4/18/12 10:30 PM Lakers Warriors ESPN
1,673
93 Wed., 4/25/12 10:30 PM Spurs Suns ESPN
1,651
94 Thu., 1/26/12 8:00 PM Celtics Magic TNT
1,632
95 Fri., 2/17/12 8:00 PM Mavs Sixers ESPN
1,611
96 Fri., 3/30/12 10:30 PM Blazers Clippers ESPN
1,604
97 Wed., 2/29/12 9:00 PM Bulls Spurs ESPN
1,601
98 Wed., 2/22/12 7:00 PM Celtics Thunder ESPN
1,547
99 Mon., 2/20/12 8:00 PM Celtics Mavs TNT
1,525
100 Thu., 1/12/12 10:30 PM Magic Warriors TNT
1,469
101 Mon., 3/19/12 10:30 PM Mavs Nuggets TNT
1,458
102 Mon., 2/20/12 10:30 PM Blazers Lakers TNT
1,457
103 Sun., 1/29/12 6:30 PM Spurs Mavs ESPN
1,408
104 Thu., 4/5/12 7:00 PM Knicks Magic TNT
1,398
105 Wed., 3/28/12 7:00 PM Magic Knicks ESPN
1,382
106 Sun., 3/18/12 9:30 PM Blazers Thunder ESPN
1,359
107 Thu., 4/12/12 10:30 PM Mavs Warriors TNT
1,358
108 Fri., 3/2/12 10:30 PM Clippers Suns ESPN
1,339
109 Sun., 2/12/12 9:30 PM Jazz Grizzlies ESPN
1,327
110 Wed., 1/18/12 8:00 PM Blazers Hawks ESPN
1,306
111 Thu., 3/8/12 10:30 PM Mavs Suns TNT
1,300
112 Fri., 1/6/12 10:30 PM Blazers Suns ESPN
1,290
113 Wed., 3/14/12 7:00 PM Sixers Pacers ESPN
1,289
114 Fri., 3/30/12 8:00 PM Mavericks Magic ESPN
1,248
115 Sat., 4/21/12 10:30 PM Magic Jazz ESPN
1,218
116 Fri., 4/20/12 7:00 PM Celtics Hawks ESPN
1,199
117 Fri., 3/16/12 9:30 PM Spurs Thunder ESPN
1,195
118 Fri., 4/13/12 8:00 PM Suns Rockets ESPN
1,149
119 Wed., 2/15/12 10:00 PM Blazers Warriors ESPN
1,137
120 Wed., 4/11/12 10:30 PM Warriors Blazers ESPN
1,114
121 Mon., 2/20/12 4:00 PM Bulls Hawks ESPN
1,113
122 Fri., 4/13/12 10:30 PM Mavs Blazers ESPN
1,104
123 Fri., 3/2/12 8:00 PM Warriors Sixers ESPN
1,063
124 Sat., 4/7/12 10:30 PM Nuggets Warriors ESPN
1,047
125 Sat., 4/7/12 8:00 PM Magic Sixers ESPN
1,037
126 Sat., 4/21/12 5:30 PM Nuggets Suns ESPN
1,023
127 Fri., 3/16/12 7:00 PM Heat Sixers ESPN
1,001
128 Thu., 4/26/12 8:00 PM Knicks Bobcats TNT
961
129 Mon, 1/16/12 1:00 PM Bulls Grizzlies ESPN
947
130 Sat., 4/14/12 9:00 PM Suns Spurs ESPN
888
131 Fri., 3/23/12 8:00 PM Celtics Sixers ESPN
879
132 Thu., 4/26/12 10:30 PM Spurs Warriors TNT
869
133 Fri., 3/23/12 10:30 PM Nuggets Jazz ESPN
729
134 Mon., 4/9/12 9:00 PM Suns Wolves ESPN2
643

(Game-by-game viewership via Turner Sports, ESPN, Sports Business Daily, The Futon Critic, Son of The Bronx, TV By the Numbers)

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  • Rickjohnson

    Great season in the NBA. Loving the hoops!

  • Marco Padilla

    Question what are the top 10 pro teams with the highest local CSN rating foor last season and through this season (NBA,MLB,NHL)? Secondly, how do NBA tv ratings comapre to NFL,NHL,MLB?

    • Paulsen

      Haven’t seen the full numbers for CSN this season. As far as how NBA TV ratings compare to those in other sports on a local level: it varies by market, but I would say the league is probably third behind the NFL and MLB.