Zero game sevens, zero Brooklyn wins and zero L.A. teams, yet the first round of the NBA Playoffs still hit a four-year viewership high.
The first round of the NBA Playoffs averaged 3.49 million viewers across ABC, ESPN and TNT, the highest first round average on the networks since 2018 (3.75M). Viewership increased 12% from last year (3.13M), 66% from the months-delayed “bubble” playoffs two years ago (2.11M), and 17% from 2019 — the previous postseason to begin as normal in the month of April (2.98M).
Including NBA TV — which averaged its largest playoff audience since 2014 with 571,000 viewers — the first round averaged just shy of three million viewers, still the most-watched since 2018 (3.15M). The four-network average increased 10% from last year and 52% from the “bubble.”
The four-year viewership high came despite the absence of the Lakers (and to a lesser extent the Clippers) and the quick exit of the Brooklyn Nets. The Celtics’ four-game sweep of the Nets averaged 4.84 million viewers, making it the most-watched first round NBA playoff series since 2016 (Warriors-Rockets: 4.93M) and the most-watched Eastern Conference first round series in a decade (Heat-Knicks: 4.92M).
In just four games, Celtics-Nets accounted for four of the nine largest first round audiences. Warriors-Nuggets generated three of the top six. Suns-Pelicans was the only other series with multiple games in the top ten (two).
First round play concluded Friday with 3.47 million viewers for Grizzlies-Timberwolves Game 6 on ESPN, marking a modest decline from Clippers-Mavericks last year — which aired in June and did not face NFL Draft competition (3.61M*) — and Warriors-Clippers on the same NFL Draft Friday in ’19 (3.71M).
NBA first round playoff viewership on ABC, ESPN and TNT
Past five years
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 5.2]
