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Home › Linear Media › Disney › ABC › Warriors/Thunder Thriller Hits Multi-Year High in Overnights

Warriors/Thunder Thriller Hits Multi-Year High in Overnights

by Jon Lewis

10 years ago

Ratings Roundup: NASCAR Xfinity, NBA on Nat’l TV, NHL on NBCSN

Jon Lewis

Jon Lewis has been covering the sports media industry on a daily basis since 2006 as the founder and main writer of Sports Media Watch. You can contact him here or on the social media websites X (Twitter) or Bluesky.

Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown, left, tries to get past Philadelphia 76ers' VJ Edgecombe during the first half of Game 4 in a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

NBA playoff viewership rising at accelerating rate through Sunday

by Jon Lewis

5 days ago

The new NBA media rights deal has already been a boon for the league's playoff viewership.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, second from right, shoots as Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson, left, forward Jabari Smith Jr., second from left, and forward Tari Eason defend during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

NBA playoff viewership rebounds quickly after weeknight NBC games

by Jon Lewis

1 week ago

NBA playoff viewership bounced back in a big way after back-to-back weeknight doubleheaders on primetime broadcast television.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) drives past Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) during the second half in Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series in San Antonio, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

NBA openers dip, but Sunday audience at Easter levels behind Wemby, NBC

by Jon Lewis

2 weeks ago

If off from last year's high, the NBA Playoffs got off to one of its better starts of late...

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry celebrates during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

NBA Play-in viewership up thus far in streaming debut on Prime Video

by Jon Lewis

2 weeks ago

Now airing exclusively on streaming, NBA Play-in Tournament viewership is nonetheless trending ahead of last year on cable.

Comments 13

Ricardo says:

10 years ago

That has influenced, no doubt, and now that Fox gave his rights to FS1.
TheAmazingT says:

10 years ago

The NBA is doing very very well. MLB Postseason can’t compete with NBA anymore.
- Ricardo says:
  
  10 years ago
  
  WTF? What does the playoffs mlb here? For your info I recommend check the hearing of the NLDS and NLCS last year and compare with the NBA playoffs.
  
  I do not understand the obsession of some fans of the NBA and NFL to continue his narrative stupid against MLB.
  
  MLB also never had been as now, and locally remains more popular than the NBA. NBA currently dominates their stars but MLB would win if the Yankees, Cubs, RedSox, Dodgers, Mets were always on top.
  
  NBA depends on LeBron and now, their fate, have Curry, without them the other teams do not exist for the TV and the audience.
  - Hello Larry says:
    
    10 years ago
    
    Exactly Ricardo, the MLB Postseason was actually doing way better than the NBA’s first two rounds especially on the National League side since they had the Cubs and Mets in there. I feel those numbers are going to get even stronger this year as long as we see a Cubs vs. Mets rematch because some of the NLCS games will be on FOX this year I believe whereas all of the games were on TBS.
    
    The MLB still has more power than the NBA when their marquee teams are involved than the NBA although the NBA has surpassed them when it comes to getting more of a draw out of non-major market teams.
    
    I hate this obsession too that some fans have not just with MLB but people competing with their leagues to everybody elses, worry about your own damn league or just be happy that these sports are doing great in general. I would rather have every league doing well than not doing well. Let’s just be honest here none of these leagues can compete with the NFL anyways so what’s the point of comparing?
    - Ricardo says:
      
      10 years ago
      
      I agree with you on everything.
      
      Complementing the last paragraph, the NFL ratings are incomparable because of the nature of football in a league of 17 games made for TV.
    - Hello Larry says:
      
      10 years ago
      
      That too I agree with for the NFL, the game was made for television unlike the other leagues where every game is a weekly event and doesn’t require the average viewer to dedicate that much time towards watching the league on a regular weeknight like the other leagues do. If the NFL ran an 82 game season they would go through the same problems that the other leagues go through as well as the playoffs which air one Game 7 do or die game every round.
  - jerrytsao says:
    
    10 years ago
    
    The higher 15′ NL TV ratings were high because of Cubs, how about AL side minus the Yankees? Outside of NFL every league now rely on marquee teams or players to boost the ratings, and before you say NBA is nothing without Lebron & Curry, you should check out the other first/second round numbers and compare them to 15′ AL playoffs & 14′ NL playoffs.
    - Ricardo says:
      
      10 years ago
      
      I’m sure the playoff games where they did not play LeBron and Curry were low.
      
      Another thing we can not forget the 15′ AL playoffs & 14′ NL playoffs were transmitted by FS1, a terrible decision FOX, because many households do not have that channel in their programming. That is an important factor, but many do not see it and go to the narrative of the popular culture “the baseball is dying” …
      
      My point is, times have changed. The NBA and its audience revolve around the big stars, here LeBron and now Curry, without them, are mediocre ratings. MLB on the TV needs the marquees teams, without them, their ratings become mediocre too.
      
      What happens now? The NBA is fortunate, for the essence of basketball, their biggest stars almost always get to the end, this gives them the ratings.
      
      MLB opposite happens, because the playoffs are a lottery, anyone can win and that often harms the interests of FOX executives.
      
      And this is just one of the factors, we could also talk about competition, is not the same competition in October with the NFL and series premiere, with the dead date of June.
      
      Anyway, the truth is that enough of comparing apples and oranges, I know as well that these discussions never end.
    - Hello Larry says:
      
      10 years ago
      
      Agreed to the fullest here Ricardo what you brought up with how it works with the NBA and MLB now is exactly what happen. It has worked out with the NBA recently because they have been able to build the league backup since Jordan left in the late 90s to get their new breed of superstars around LeBron James but they still have teams that will bring their ratings down if superstars or marquee teams are not in the picture.
      
      MLB hasn’t been as fortunate as they’ve gone through a rough patch especially in the past 5-10 years before 2015 where they had low-rated teams and non-marketable superstars making a deep postseason run. MLB is different form the NBA where the NBA can almost certainly get one of their marquee stars to make a deep run every year.
      
      MLB finally has found potentially two teams people are into nationally in the young Cubs and Mets to market their league around now which is something they really haven’t had since those Red Sox teams that broke the curse or Yankees dynasty with Jeter. I felt like people were also getting into the Toronto Blue Jays too as they seemed more popular than the Royals but the team needed to face the Cubs to make a difference because Toronto ratings don’t count in the Nielsens.
    - Hello Larry says:
      
      10 years ago
      
      I agree with some things you said but it’s like Ricardo stated the FS1 factor is a huge factor why you had some of those low ratings as TBS ratings or FOX ratings were usually higher. Game 1 of the ALCS out-rated the rest of the games in the series and that was the only game on FOX. Even with the Toronto market not in play Game 1 did very well for them.
      
      The problem I’ve always had with baseball is that they have had a bad television contract for years probably the worst in American sports even hockey has a decent contract with NBC because they showcase a lot of games on the main network during the playoffs although some games are shared on NBCSN but NBCSN is starting to become a more visible network every year and will grow with Olympic season as the network should have a huge year this year with the Olympics in August.
      
      Baseball should’ve done an NFL style contract where the World Series is alternated with a second broadcast network every year. They should’ve expanded their ESPN deal with ABC or got with NBC because FOX alone as a television partner is a killer for them a lot of people hate the FOX on baseball brand as well. The LCS should’ve worked the same too with ABC/NBC alternating with FOX on the games.
      
      All of the leagues except the NFL rely on marquee teams and players but even the NFL succeeds more on teams like the Cowboys or players like Tom Brady being in the playoff picture. So we can definitely throw that comparison out the window.
    - Ricardo says:
      
      10 years ago
      
      Agree completely with everything you said. You and I share many causes. Unfortunately the narrative is another and as I said in some of my comments above, it seems that is part of American culture and saying “baseball is dying,” even though it is totally false.
      
      Greetings.
    - Hello Larry says:
      
      10 years ago
      
      Ricardo you are very refreshing for me because it’s good to hear from somebody who not only agrees with my opinions but also believes the narrative that baseball isn’t dead because anybody who believes that is definitely ignorant, naive, and biased towards their favorite leagues. That’s why I choose not to have a favorite league because I don’t want to become that type of psycho person who has to prop their sport up with false truths. I watch all four major sports some of them more than others at times.
      
      People should be celebrating and embracing baseball instead of downing it. You see this same thing happened with the wrestling industry and that sport is severely damaged because you had too many people doing that and now all people have is the WWE could you imagine if that happen to any of our major sports? Thank God every league at the moment is doing very well financially.
      
      I’m glad baseball was able to bounce back last year and I hope during this time where the Cubs and Mets are leading the league that other teams in the league can start to gain popularity in their own right as well.
      
      Greetings to you as well my new friend hope to see you on here in the future so we can debate these clowns and end that baseball is dead narrative that’s been pushed the past decade. LOL!
Tati says:

10 years ago

The NBA is in good hands. Even when LeBron James’ shine wears off.