The first full NBA season in two years has gotten off to a slower start on TNT and ESPN.
Of the 33 nationally televised NBA games this season that can be compared to 2010, twenty have had declines in viewership, and seventeen have had double-digit declines.
At least part of the slower start can be attributed to the effect of Hurricane Sandy earlier in the season. Major television markets, including New York and Philadelphia, were not factored into the ratings for several early season games.
Even so, declines have persisted into the month of December. Of the 13 games this month that can be compared to 2010, nine have had declines in viewership.
The top game of the season-so-far was the Celtics/Heat season opener on October 30 (5.4M). The eight most-viewed games of the season have each involved the Heat or Lakers.
On the other end of the spectrum, the November 9 Jazz/Nuggets game earned the smallest audience of the season on TNT/ESPN, attracting fewer than 1.1 million viewers.
Viewership For Regular Season NBA Games This Season
Through December 20
| Date | Time (ET) | Away | Home | Net | Viewership | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2010 | vs. ’10 | |||||
| Tue., 10/30/12 | 8:00 PM | Celtics | Heat | TNT |
5.4M
|
7.3M
|
-27%
|
| 10:30 PM | Mavs | Lakers | TNT |
4.3M
|
4.3M
|
even
|
|
| Thu., 11/1/12 | 9:30 PM | Thunder | Spurs | TNT |
2.1M
|
1.4M
|
+51%
|
| Fri., 11/2/12 | 8:00 PM | Heat | Knicks | ESPN |
2.8M
|
3.8M
|
-26%
|
| 10:30 PM | Clippers | Lakers | ESPN |
3.1M
|
3.2M
|
-3%
|
|
| Wed., 11/7/12 | 8:00 PM | Sixers | Hornets | ESPN |
1.1M
|
2.5M
|
-57%
|
| 10:30 PM | Spurs | Clippers | ESPN |
1.3M
|
2.3M
|
-43%
|
|
| Thu., 11/8/12 | 8:00 PM | Thunder | Bulls | TNT |
1.8M
|
2.0M
|
-8%
|
| 10:30 PM | Clippers | Blazers | TNT |
1.4M
|
1.7M
|
-19%
|
|
| Fri., 11/9/12 | 10:30 PM | Jazz | Nuggets | ESPN |
1.1M
|
1.9M
|
-45%
|
| Wed., 11/14/12 | 8:00 PM | Grizzlies | Thunder | ESPN |
1.7M
|
1.6M
|
+6%
|
| 10:30 PM | Heat | Clippers | ESPN |
2.2M
|
1.6M
|
+41%
|
|
| Thu., 11/15/12 | 8:00 PM | Celtics | Nets | TNT |
1.4M
|
4.2M
|
-67%
|
| 10:30 PM | Heat | Nuggets | TNT |
1.6M
|
2.9M
|
-45%
|
|
| Fri., 11/16/12 | 7:00 PM | Jazz | Sixers | ESPN |
1.1M
|
1.4M
|
-24%
|
| 9:30 PM | Knicks | Grizzlies | ESPN |
2.0M
|
1.7M
|
+22%
|
|
| Wed., 11/21/12 | 7:30 PM | Clippers | Thunder | ESPN |
2.1M
|
2.1M
|
+2%
|
| Mon., 11/26/12 | 7:15 PM | Knicks | Nets | TNT |
1.8M
|
no game
|
|
| Thu., 11/29/12 | 8:00 PM | Spurs | Heat | TNT |
2.0M
|
1.0M
|
+108%
|
| 10:30 PM | Nuggets | Warriors | TNT |
1.2M
|
1.0M
|
+27%
|
|
| Fri., 11/30/12 | 10:30 PM | Nuggets | Lakers | ESPN |
1.6M
|
0.5M
|
+202%
|
| Wed., 12/5/12 | 8:00 PM | Nuggets | Hawks | ESPN |
1.1M
|
no game
|
|
| 10:30 PM | Mavs | Clippers | ESPN |
1.4M
|
no game
|
||
| Thu., 12/6/12 | 8:00 PM | Knicks | Heat | TNT |
2.7M
|
7.1M
|
-62%
|
| 10:30 PM | Mavs | Suns | TNT |
1.2M
|
1.7M
|
-32%
|
|
| Fri., 12/7/12 | 7:00 PM | Celtics | Sixers | ESPN |
1.4M
|
2.4M
|
-41%
|
| 9:30 PM | Lakers | Thunder | ESPN |
2.7M
|
1.5M
|
+81%
|
|
| Tue., 12/11/12 | 7:00 PM | Knicks | Nets | ESPN |
1.7M
|
no game
|
|
| 9:30 PM | Clippers | Bulls | ESPN |
2.0M
|
no game
|
||
| Wed., 12/12/12 | 8:00 PM | Mavs | Celtics | ESPN |
1.7M
|
1.9M
|
-9%
|
| 10:30 PM | Spurs | Jazz | ESPN |
1.5M
|
no game
|
||
| Thu., 12/13/12 | 8:00 PM | Lakers | Knicks | TNT |
3.0M
|
1.7M
|
+81%
|
| 10:30 PM | Spurs | Blazers | TNT |
1.3M
|
1.3M
|
+1%
|
|
| Fri., 12/14/12 | 8:00 PM | Celtics | Rockets | ESPN |
1.4M
|
2.5M
|
-43%
|
| 10:30 PM | Grizzlies | Nuggets | ESPN |
1.3M
|
2.8M
|
-53%
|
|
| Wed., 12/19/12 | 7:00 PM | Nets | Knicks | ESPN |
1.7M
|
2.8M
|
-40%
|
| 9:30 PM | Bucks | Grizzlies | ESPN |
1.2M
|
1.8M
|
-32%
|
|
| Thu., 12/20/12 | 7:00 PM | Thunder | T-Wolves | TNT |
1.7M
|
2.0M
|
-17%
|
| 9:30 PM | Heat | Mavs | TNT |
2.0M
|
1.7M
|
+15%
|
|
