Unable to keep up the red-hot pace of the previous two seasons, NBA TV viewership declined across the board in 2012-13.
ABC averaged a 2.9 rating and 4.7 million viewers for 15 NBA regular season games, down 12% in ratings and 13% in viewership from last year (3.3, 5.4M), and 3% and 8%, respectively, from 2010-11 (3.0, 5.1M). This marks the first time since the 2006-07 season that ABC has had a decline for NBA coverage.
Even so, the 2012-13 season still ranks as the third most viewed on ABC since the network began airing games in 2002 (eleven seasons).
TNT and ESPN had similar results. Regular season games on TNT averaged a 1.4 U.S. rating and 2.0 million viewers — down 18% in ratings and 20% in viewership from last year (1.7, 2.5M), and down 13% and 19%, respectively, from 2010-11 (1.6, 2.5M).
Still, TNT had its third-most viewed NBA season ever — a statistic made more impressive by the fact that Turner Sports has been airing NBA coverage since the 1984-85 season.
ESPN averaged 1.8 million viewers for its NBA coverage this season, down 7% in viewership from last year (1.9M), and down 13% from 2010-11 (2.0M). Again, however, the 2012-13 season ranked as the third-most viewed on the network since reacquiring rights in 2002.
NBA TV fared the best of the four networks compared to last year, as viewership declined less than one percent — dropping from 337,000 viewers last year to 336,000 this season. The network’s coverage was up 33% from 2010-11 (253K).
It should be no surprise that the 2012-13 season could not match the torrid pace set in the past two years. The 2010-11 season was fueled by the overwhelming backlash to LeBron James‘ decision to join the Miami Heat, and the 2011-12 season was aided by a shortened, 66-game slate. If 2012-13 represents the new baseline for NBA regular season coverage, the networks will surely be satisfied.
Game-by-game NBA viewership is available here.
Average NBA Viewership on ABC, ESPN and TNT
Past five seasons
(Season averages from multichannel.com, NBA Digital)
