In a season where NBA viewership rose across the board, ESPN’s 29% increase from last year was actually the lowest among the league’s three broadcast partners.
ESPN averaged a 1.3 U.S. rating and 2.025 million viewers for NBA coverage during the 2010-11 season, up 18% in ratings and 29% in viewership from last year (1.1, 1.571M), and up 18% and 21%, respectively, from 2008-09 (1.1, 1.680M).
Keep in mind this does not include Wednesday’s season-ending doubleheader, which featured Hornets/Mavericks (0.9, 1.330M) and Grizzlies/Clippers (0.9, 1.192M).
This marks the most-viewed NBA season ever on ESPN, topping the previous record set during the aforementioned 2008-09 season. This marks the third time in four years that ESPN has set a viewership record for the NBA.
The top game on ESPN this season was Knicks/Heat on February 27 (4.213M), which also ranks as the network’s third-most viewed game since reacquiring rights to the league in 2002.
Twelve of ESPN’s 20 most-viewed NBA games took place this season alone. Of those twelve, eight involved the Miami Heat, and two more had a Heat game as a lead-in.
Fellow cable outlet TNT averaged a 1.6 U.S. rating and 2.453 million viewers for NBA coverage this season, the most-viewed season ever on Turner Sports. (Click for more details).
Meanwhile, corporate sibling ABC earned a 3.0 and 5.110 million viewers for its fifteen games, the highest rated, most-viewed season on the network since reacquiring rights in 2002. (Click for more details).
Ratings/Viewership For the NBA on ESPN
During the 2010-11 Season
| Date | Time | Game | Net | Rating | Viewers (000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed., 10/27/10 | 8 PM | CHI 95, OKC 106 | ESPN |
1.2
|
1,697
|
| 10:30 PM | POR 98, LAC 88 | ESPN |
1.2
|
1,854
|
|
| Fri., 10/29/10 | 8 PM | ORL 70, MIA 96 | ESPN |
2.3
|
3,774
|
| 10:30 PM | LAL 114, PHX 106 | ESPN |
2.0
|
3,168
|
|
| Wed., 11/3/10 | 8 PM | MIL 102, BOS 105 | ESPN |
1.7
|
2,451
|
| 10:30 PM | LAL 112, SAC 100 | ESPN |
1.6
|
2,329
|
|
| Fri., 11/5/10 | 8 PM | CHI 105, BOS 110 | ESPN |
1.6
|
2,473
|
| 10:30 PM | LAC 104, DEN 111 | ESPN |
1.2
|
1,914
|
|
| Wed., 11/10/10 | 7 PM | UTA 104, ORL 94 | ESPN |
1.1
|
1,589
|
| 9:30 PM | LAC 95, SAS 107 | ESPN |
1.1
|
1,588
|
|
| Fri., 11/12/10 | 7 PM | UTA 90, ATL 86 | ESPN |
1.0
|
1,440
|
| 9:30 PM | POR 108, OKC 110 | ESPN |
1.2
|
1,669
|
|
| Wed., 11/17/10 | 7 PM | PHX 96, MIA 123 | ESPN |
1.4
|
2,098
|
| 9:30 PM | CHI 94, SAS 103 | ESPN |
1.4
|
1,914
|
|
| Fri., 11/19/10 | 7 PM | OKC 89, BOS 84 | ESPN |
1.4
|
2,121
|
| 9:30 PM | CHI 88, DAL 83 | ESPN |
1.2
|
1,771
|
|
| Wed., 11/24/10 | 7:30 PM | MIA 95, ORL 104 | ESPN |
2.0
|
2,985
|
| Fri., 11/26/10 | 7 PM | HOU 89, CHA 99 | ESPN2 |
0.3
|
442
|
| 9:30 PM | GSW 111, MEM 116 | ESPN2 |
0.4
|
530
|
|
| Fri., 12/3/10 | 8 PM | CHI 92, BOS 104 | ESPN |
1.6
|
2,389
|
| 10:30 PM | DAL 93, UTA 81 | ESPN |
1.0
|
1,468
|
|
| Wed., 12/8/10 | 7 PM | DEN 89, BOS 105 | ESPN |
1.3
|
1,899
|
| Fri., 12/10/10 | 8 PM | LAL 84, CHI 88 | ESPN |
1.6
|
2,480
|
| 10:30 PM | MIA 106, GSW 84 | ESPN |
1.8
|
2,756
|
|
| Wed., 12/15/10 | 7 PM | BOS 118, NYK 116 | ESPN |
1.8
|
2,787
|
| 9:30 PM | POR 98, DAL 103 | ESPN |
1.2
|
1,809
|
|
| Fri., 12/17/10 | 7 PM | MIA 113, NYK 91 | ESPN |
1.9
|
2,768
|
| 9:30 PM | PHX 91, DAL 106 | ESPN |
1.3
|
2,022
|
|
| Sat., 12/25/10 | 12:30 PM | CHI 95, NYK 103 | ESPN |
2.3
|
4,017
|
| 8 PM | DEN 106, OKC 114 | ESPN |
1.2
|
2,028
|
|
| 10:30 PM | POR 102, GSW 109 | ESPN |
1.1
|
1,725
|
|
| Wed., 1/5/11 | 10:30 PM | LAL 99, PHX 95 | ESPN |
1.5
|
2,140
|
| Fri., 1/7/11 | 8 PM | HOU 95, ORL 110 | ESPN |
0.8
|
1,175
|
| 10:30 PM | NYK 121, PHX 96 | ESPN |
0.9
|
1,295
|
|
| Fri., 1/14/11 | 8 PM | DAL 89, SAS 101 | ESPN |
0.9
|
1,348
|
| 10:30 PM | POR 111, PHX 115 | ESPN |
0.8
|
1,099
|
|
| Sun., 1/16/11 | 9 PM | DEN 97, SAS 110 | ESPN |
0.9
|
1,403
|
| Mon., 1/17/11 | 1 PM | CHI 96, MEM 84 | ESPN |
0.7
|
946
|
| Wed., 1/19/11 | 9 PM | LAL 100, DAL 109 | ESPN |
1.2
|
1,841
|
| Fri., 1/21/11 | 8 PM | NYK 92, SAS 101 | ESPN |
1.2
|
1,844
|
| 10:30 PM | LAL 107, DEN 97 | ESPN |
1.5
|
2,369
|
|
| Wed., 1/26/11 | 9:30 PM | SAS 112, UTA 105 | ESPN |
0.8
|
1,263
|
| Fri., 1/28/11 | 10:30 PM | BOS 71, PHX 88 | ESPN |
1.2
|
1,999
|
| Sun., 1/30/11 | 10 PM | UTA 81, GSW 96 | ESPN |
0.6
|
977
|
| Fri., 2/4/11 | 8 PM | DAL 101, BOS 97 | ESPN |
1.5
|
2,370
|
| 10:30 PM | UTA 113, DEN 106 | ESPN |
1.2
|
1,837
|
|
| Fri., 2/11/11 | 8 PM | LAL 113, NYK 96 | ESPN |
1.5
|
2,298
|
| 10:30 PM | PHX 95, UTA 83 | ESPN |
1.1
|
1,579
|
|
| Sun., 2/13/11 | 9 PM | OKC 94, GS 100 | ESPN |
0.9
|
1,331
|
| Wed, 2/16/11 | 9 PM | DEN 94, MIL 87 | ESPN |
0.7
|
1,046
|
| Fri., 2/18/11 | 7 PM | NBA All-Star Celebrity Game | ESPN |
1.5
|
2,358
|
| Wed., 2/23/11 | 7 PM | OKC 105, SA 109 | ESPN |
1.0
|
1,491
|
| 9:30 PM | LAC 87, NO 98 | ESPN |
1.0
|
1,540
|
|
| Fri., 2/25/11 | 8 PM | OKC 88, ORL 111 | ESPN |
1.3
|
2,071
|
| 10:30 PM | DEN 106, POR 107 | ESPN |
1.0
|
1,632
|
|
| Sun., 2/27/11 | 8 PM | NY 91, MIA 86 | ESPN |
2.7
|
4,213
|
| 10:30 PM | ATL 90, POR 83 | ESPN |
1.2
|
1,740
|
|
| Fri., 3/4/11 | 7 PM | CHI 89, ORL 81 | ESPN |
1.2
|
1,800
|
| 9:30 PM | MIA 95, SA 125 | ESPN |
1.8
|
2,914
|
|
| Sun., 3/6/11 | 6:30 PM | NYK 92, ATL 79 | ESPN |
1.3
|
1,945
|
| 9 PM | BOS 89, MIL 83 | ESPN |
1.5
|
2,307
|
|
| Mon., 3/14/11 | 8 PM | SAS 80, MIA 110 | ESPN |
1.8
|
2,722
|
| 10:30 PM | ORL 84, LAL 97 | ESPN |
1.9
|
2,788
|
|
| Wed., 3/16/11 | 8 PM | OKC 96, MIA 85 | ESPN |
1.9
|
2,892
|
| 10:30 PM | DAL 112, GS 106 | ESPN |
1.2
|
1,719
|
|
| Wed., 3/23/11 | 8 PM | ORL 111, NY 99 | ESPN |
1.3
|
1,934
|
| 10:30 PM | SA 112, DEN 115 | ESPN |
1.3
|
1,785
|
|
| Sun., 3/27/11 | 8 PM | POR 90, OKC 99 | ESPN |
1.0
|
1,506
|
| 10:30 PM | DAL 91, PHX 83 | ESPN |
0.8
|
1,176
|
|
| Wed., 3/30/11 | 7:30 PM | NJ 116, NY 120 | ESPN |
1.1
|
1,490
|
| Fri., 4/1/11 | 8 PM | BOS 83, ATL 88 | ESPN |
1.4
|
2,126
|
| 10:30 PM | LAL 96, UTA 85 | ESPN |
1.5
|
2,400
|
|
| Wed., 4/6/11 | 8 PM | MIL 90, MIA 85 | ESPN |
1.2
|
1,718
|
| 10:30 PM | LAL 87, GS 95 | ESPN |
1.5
|
2,416
|
|
| Wed., 4/13/11 | 8 PM | NO 89, DAL 121 | ESPN |
0.9
|
1,330
|
| 10:30 PM | MEM 103, LAC 110 | ESPN |
0.9
|
1,192
|
(Season average from ESPN)
