NBA Draft ratings slipped, but remained solid.
Despite the drop, it was the fifth-most watched NBA Draft in ESPN history (dates back to 2003). Last year, 2015 (3.45M), 2014 (3.45M) and 2011 (3.20M) hold the top spots.
The Draft had a 1.3 rating in adults 18-49, down a tick from last year but still the night’s top rating in the demo. A rerun of “The Big Bang Theory” on CBS and an episode of “Jersey Shore” on MTV ranked second (1.0).
As is no surprise, the NBA Draft was no match for its NFL counterpart. The three-day NFL Draft, which added broadcast network exposure this year, averaged a 3.6 and 5.5 million across ESPN/ABC, Fox Sports and NFL Network.
If no match for the NFL, the NBA Draft continues to dominate all other comparable events. None of the other drafts had even 300,000 viewers, with last month’s MLB Draft at 297,000, April’s WNBA Draft at 254,000 and last year’s NHL Draft at 252,000.
NBA Draft Ratings, Viewership, Past Decade
