With three of the league’s marquee teams on schedule, the NBA scored strong numbers on ESPN Wednesday night.
Wednesday’s Celtics-Sixers NBA regular season game averaged 1.85 million viewers on ESPN, up 50% from Knicks-Nets last year (1.23M) and the most-watched sporting event of November 15. The Kings-Lakers nightcap averaged 1.71 million, up 16% from Lakers-Clippers a year ago (1.48M). With an average of 1.78 million viewers, Wednesday marked the most-watched NBA doubleheader since Opening Week.
Seven of the last eight NBA windows on ESPN have increased double-digits over last year, including four by at least 50 percent. NBA games are now averaging 1.83 million viewers across ESPN and TNT so far this season, up 6% from the same period last year (1.72M).
In other Wednesday action, Buffalo-Miami “MACtion” college football averaged 385,000 viewers on ESPN2 — down 4% from Eastern Michigan-Kent State last year (399K). TNT averaged 300,000 viewers for an NHL doubleheader, up 19% from last year (253K), with Flyers-Hurricanes at 365,000 viewers (+38%) and Islanders-Canucks at 236,000 (-2%).
College basketball topped out at 140,000 viewers for Georgetown-Rutgers on FS1, preceded by Albany-Seton Hall at 117,000. Merrimack-Ohio State averaged 101,000 on Big Ten Network.
Not making the below chart, the opening ceremony of the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix averaged 91,000 on ESPN2 in the overnight hours.
Wednesday, November 15 sports ratings
