ESPN earned the largest audience for the NBA Draft in at least 22 years.
The 2015 NBA Draft drew a 2.4 final rating and 3.7 million viewers on ESPN Thursday night, up a tick in ratings and 8% in viewership from last year (2.3, 3.5M) and up 20% and 25%, respectively, from 2013 (2.0, 3.0M). The telecast ranks as the highest rated NBA Draft since 1995 (2.5) and the most-watched on record (dates back to 1994).
Ratings and viewership peaked at a 3.3 and 5.1 million from 8-8:15 PM ET, the quarter-hour in which the New York Knicks made their selection.
ESPN has now aired three of the five most-watched NBA Draft telecasts in the past 20 years, with last year’s ranking third and the 2011 telecast fifth (3.2M). ESPN has had rights to the event since the current TV deal began in 2003.
Among adults 18-49, the NBA Draft had a 1.5 rating — even with last year and up 15% from 2013 (1.3). It ranked second for the night on all of television in the demo, trailing only the CBS reality show Big Brother.
The NBA Draft actually averaged more viewers on ESPN than did the complete NFL Draft, which averaged 2.9 million across three days of coverage. Keep in mind the NFL Draft also airs on NFL Network, which never released its three-day average.
(Thu. numbers from ESPN Media Zone, with additional info from ShowBuzz Daily/TV By the Numbers)
