A slow start for the NBA’s television partners has persisted into midseason.
Since Christmas Day, 31 of the 43 NBA games on ESPN/ABC and TNT that can be compared to last year have had declines in viewership [see chart]. Twenty-five of those games have had double-digit declines, including seven this month alone.
Keep in mind last year was anomalous due to the owners’ lockout. The Christmas Day slate doubled as Opening Day and the shortened season meant a higher concentration of high-quality games on national TV.
Those factors do not explain everything, however. After all, viewership declined for 20 of 33 pre-Christmas games this season — all of which were compared to 2010, as there were no such games in 2011.
Overall, average viewership has declined on each of the NBA broadcast partners this season — by 5% on ABC (6.9M to 6.5M), by 11% on ESPN* (2.0M to 1.8M) and by 24% on TNT^ (2.8M to 2.1M).
First Half NBA Averages on ESPN/ABC and TNT
| Net | 2012 | 2011 | vs. ’11 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TCs | Dates | Viewers | TCs | Dates | Viewers | ||
| TNT |
32
|
10/30/12-2/14/13
|
2.1M
|
25
|
12/25/11-2/23/12
|
2.8M
|
-24%
|
| ESPN |
47
|
11/2/12-2/10/13
|
1.8M
|
30
|
12/25/11-2/22/12
|
2.0M
|
-11%
|
| ABC |
6
|
12/25/12-2/10/13
|
6.5M
|
6
|
12/25/11-2/19/12
|
6.9M
|
-5%
|
Viewership For Regular Season NBA Games on National TV Since Christmas
Pre-Christmas numbers available here.
Date
Time (ET)
Away
Home
Net
Viewership
2012
2011
vs. ’11
Tue., 12/25/12
12:00 PM
Celtics
Nets
ESPN
3.7M
5.9M
-36%
3:00 PM
Knicks
Lakers
ABC
8.8M
9.0M
-3%
5:30 PM
Thunder
Heat
ABC
9.6M
11.0M
-13%
8:00 PM
Rockets
Bulls
ESPN
2.4M
2.6M
-7%
10:30 PM
Nuggets
Clippers
ESPN
2.3M
3.0M
-23%
Thu., 12/27/12
8:00 PM
Mavs
Thunder
TNT
2.2M
2.4M
-8%
10:30 PM
Celtics
Clippers
TNT
2.3M
3.3M
-32%
Fri., 1/4/13
8:00 PM
Bulls
Heat
ESPN
1.8M
1.8M
2%
10:30 PM
Lakers
Clippers
ESPN
3.1M
1.3M
139%
Wed., 1/9/13
8:00 PM
Lakers
Spurs
ESPN
2.0M
2.5M
-18%
10:30 PM
Mavs
Clippers
ESPN
1.8M
3.5M
-49%
Thu., 1/10/13
8:00 PM
Knicks
Pacers
TNT
1.5M
1.7M
-16%
10:30 PM
Heat
Blazers
TNT
1.4M
1.5M
-7%
Fri., 1/11/13
8:00 PM
Bulls
Knicks
ESPN
1.9M
2.5M
-23%
10:30 PM
Thunder
Lakers
ESPN
2.3M
2.7M
-16%
Wed., 1/16/13
8:00 PM
Rockets
Mavs
ESPN
1.4M
1.3M
10%
10:30 PM
Heat
Warriors
ESPN
1.7M
2.1M
-22%
Thu., 1/17/13
8:00 PM
Clippers
T’Wolves
TNT
1.7M
4.4M
-62%
10:30 PM
Heat
Lakers
TNT
3.5M
2.0M
81%
Fri., 1/18/13
8:00 PM
Bulls
Celtics
ESPN
2.0M
2.0M
-2%
10:30 PM
Thunder
Mavs
ESPN
2.2M
2.2M
-1%
Mon., 1/21/13
1:00 PM
Pacers
Grizzlies
ESPN
0.8M
0.9M
-18%
7:00 PM
Spurs
Sixers
TNT
1.3M
2.4M
-43%
9:30 PM
Lakers
Bulls
TNT
2.2M
3.1M
-27%
Thu., 1/24/13
8:00 PM
Knicks
Celtics
TNT
2.5M
1.6M
51%
10:30 PM
Clippers
Suns
TNT
1.4M
1.7M
-16%
Fri., 1/25/13
8:00 PM
Spurs
Mavs
ESPN
1.1M
2.3M
-51%
Sun., 1/27/13
1:00 PM
Heat
Celtics
ABC
4.6M
no game
3:30 PM
Thunder
Lakers
ABC
6.3M
5.7M
11%
6:30 PM
Hawks
Knicks
ESPN
1.5M
1.4M
10%
Wed., 1/30/13
8:00 PM
Heat
Nets
ESPN
2.0M
1.9M
6%
10:30 PM
Lakers
Suns
ESPN
2.4M
2.0M
19%
Thu., 1/31/13
8:00 PM
Grizzlies
Thunder
TNT
1.6M
2.3M
-31%
10:30 PM
Mavs
Warriors
TNT
1.2M
1.9M
-37%
Fri., 2/1/13
7:00 PM
Heat
Pacers
ESPN
1.6M
2.2M
-25%
9:30 PM
Lakers
T’Wolves
ESPN
2.0M
2.5M
-20%
Wed., 2/6/13
9:00 PM
Spurs
T’Wolves
ESPN
1.1M
no game
Thu., 2/7/13
8:00 PM
Lakers
Celtics
TNT
2.6M
3.1M
-16%
10:30 PM
Bulls
Nuggets
TNT
1.3M
1.9M
-32%
Fri., 2/8/13
8:00 PM
Clippers
Heat
ESPN
1.9M
3.0M
-36%
10:30 PM
Bulls
Jazz
ESPN
1.5M
2.1M
-29%
Sun., 2/10/13
1:00 PM
Clippers
Knicks
ABC
3.3M
no game
3:30 PM
Lakers
Heat
ABC
6.5M
4.1M
59%
8:00 PM
Spurs
Nets
ESPN
1.3M
2.2M
-39%
Thu., 2/14/13
8:00 PM
Heat
Thunder
TNT
3.4M
2.4M
40%
10:30 PM
Clippers
Lakers
TNT
2.6M
1.7M
51%
| Date | Time (ET) | Away | Home | Net | Viewership | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2011 | vs. ’11 | |||||
| Tue., 12/25/12 | 12:00 PM | Celtics | Nets | ESPN |
3.7M
|
5.9M
|
-36%
|
| 3:00 PM | Knicks | Lakers | ABC |
8.8M
|
9.0M
|
-3%
|
|
| 5:30 PM | Thunder | Heat | ABC |
9.6M
|
11.0M
|
-13%
|
|
| 8:00 PM | Rockets | Bulls | ESPN |
2.4M
|
2.6M
|
-7%
|
|
| 10:30 PM | Nuggets | Clippers | ESPN |
2.3M
|
3.0M
|
-23%
|
|
| Thu., 12/27/12 | 8:00 PM | Mavs | Thunder | TNT |
2.2M
|
2.4M
|
-8%
|
| 10:30 PM | Celtics | Clippers | TNT |
2.3M
|
3.3M
|
-32%
|
|
| Fri., 1/4/13 | 8:00 PM | Bulls | Heat | ESPN |
1.8M
|
1.8M
|
2%
|
| 10:30 PM | Lakers | Clippers | ESPN |
3.1M
|
1.3M
|
139%
|
|
| Wed., 1/9/13 | 8:00 PM | Lakers | Spurs | ESPN |
2.0M
|
2.5M
|
-18%
|
| 10:30 PM | Mavs | Clippers | ESPN |
1.8M
|
3.5M
|
-49%
|
|
| Thu., 1/10/13 | 8:00 PM | Knicks | Pacers | TNT |
1.5M
|
1.7M
|
-16%
|
| 10:30 PM | Heat | Blazers | TNT |
1.4M
|
1.5M
|
-7%
|
|
| Fri., 1/11/13 | 8:00 PM | Bulls | Knicks | ESPN |
1.9M
|
2.5M
|
-23%
|
| 10:30 PM | Thunder | Lakers | ESPN |
2.3M
|
2.7M
|
-16%
|
|
| Wed., 1/16/13 | 8:00 PM | Rockets | Mavs | ESPN |
1.4M
|
1.3M
|
10%
|
| 10:30 PM | Heat | Warriors | ESPN |
1.7M
|
2.1M
|
-22%
|
|
| Thu., 1/17/13 | 8:00 PM | Clippers | T’Wolves | TNT |
1.7M
|
4.4M
|
-62%
|
| 10:30 PM | Heat | Lakers | TNT |
3.5M
|
2.0M
|
81%
|
|
| Fri., 1/18/13 | 8:00 PM | Bulls | Celtics | ESPN |
2.0M
|
2.0M
|
-2%
|
| 10:30 PM | Thunder | Mavs | ESPN |
2.2M
|
2.2M
|
-1%
|
|
| Mon., 1/21/13 | 1:00 PM | Pacers | Grizzlies | ESPN |
0.8M
|
0.9M
|
-18%
|
| 7:00 PM | Spurs | Sixers | TNT |
1.3M
|
2.4M
|
-43%
|
|
| 9:30 PM | Lakers | Bulls | TNT |
2.2M
|
3.1M
|
-27%
|
|
| Thu., 1/24/13 | 8:00 PM | Knicks | Celtics | TNT |
2.5M
|
1.6M
|
51%
|
| 10:30 PM | Clippers | Suns | TNT |
1.4M
|
1.7M
|
-16%
|
|
| Fri., 1/25/13 | 8:00 PM | Spurs | Mavs | ESPN |
1.1M
|
2.3M
|
-51%
|
| Sun., 1/27/13 | 1:00 PM | Heat | Celtics | ABC |
4.6M
|
no game
|
|
| 3:30 PM | Thunder | Lakers | ABC |
6.3M
|
5.7M
|
11%
|
|
| 6:30 PM | Hawks | Knicks | ESPN |
1.5M
|
1.4M
|
10%
|
|
| Wed., 1/30/13 | 8:00 PM | Heat | Nets | ESPN |
2.0M
|
1.9M
|
6%
|
| 10:30 PM | Lakers | Suns | ESPN |
2.4M
|
2.0M
|
19%
|
|
| Thu., 1/31/13 | 8:00 PM | Grizzlies | Thunder | TNT |
1.6M
|
2.3M
|
-31%
|
| 10:30 PM | Mavs | Warriors | TNT |
1.2M
|
1.9M
|
-37%
|
|
| Fri., 2/1/13 | 7:00 PM | Heat | Pacers | ESPN |
1.6M
|
2.2M
|
-25%
|
| 9:30 PM | Lakers | T’Wolves | ESPN |
2.0M
|
2.5M
|
-20%
|
|
| Wed., 2/6/13 | 9:00 PM | Spurs | T’Wolves | ESPN |
1.1M
|
no game
|
|
| Thu., 2/7/13 | 8:00 PM | Lakers | Celtics | TNT |
2.6M
|
3.1M
|
-16%
|
| 10:30 PM | Bulls | Nuggets | TNT |
1.3M
|
1.9M
|
-32%
|
|
| Fri., 2/8/13 | 8:00 PM | Clippers | Heat | ESPN |
1.9M
|
3.0M
|
-36%
|
| 10:30 PM | Bulls | Jazz | ESPN |
1.5M
|
2.1M
|
-29%
|
|
| Sun., 2/10/13 | 1:00 PM | Clippers | Knicks | ABC |
3.3M
|
no game
|
|
| 3:30 PM | Lakers | Heat | ABC |
6.5M
|
4.1M
|
59%
|
|
| 8:00 PM | Spurs | Nets | ESPN |
1.3M
|
2.2M
|
-39%
|
|
| Thu., 2/14/13 | 8:00 PM | Heat | Thunder | TNT |
3.4M
|
2.4M
|
40%
|
| 10:30 PM | Clippers | Lakers | TNT |
2.6M
|
1.7M
|
51%
|
|
* Last year’s ESPN average is an unofficial approximation.
^ This year’s TNT average is an unofficial approximation.
