A New Year, but the same old story — NBA TV ratings are on the rise.
Cavaliers-Celtics scored a 2.0 rating and 3.2 million viewers on ESPN’s NBA Wednesday this week, up 54% in ratings and viewership from Bulls-Cavaliers last year (1.3, 2.1M). ESPN Nielsen ratings now include streaming viewership; comparisons are to last year’s TV-only numbers.
The Celtics’ blowout win posted ESPN’s highest NBA rating of the season and its third-largest audience, behind Sixers-Knicks on Christmas (3.4M) and Warriors-Thunder in November (3.3M).
Outside of Christmas, it was the network’s second-most watched regular season game since the final night of the 2015-16 season, when the Warriors’ record 73rd win and Kobe Bryant‘s final game both had over 3.4 million.
For the night, the game was television’s top program in adults 18-34 (1.35).
The Thunder-Lakers nightcap had a 1.3 (-4%) and 1.95 million (-9%).
On TNT Thursday, Warriors-Rockets scored 2.9 million viewers and Thunder-Clippers 1.5 million — up 61% and 12% respectively from last year’s doubleheader of Thunder-Rockets (1.8M) and Lakers-Blazers (1.4M). Ratings were not immediately available.
ESPN/ABC and TNT are now averaging 2.2 million viewers for NBA coverage this season, up 18% from last year (1.8M) and up 7% from two years ago (2.0M).
The good times have also extended to NBA TV. The network scored a 0.48 rating and 744,000 viewers (+97%) for Blazers-Cavaliers on Tuesday night, tying its largest audience since the 2016 playoffs.
[Numbers via Programming Insider 1.5a, 1.5b; ShowBuzz Daily 1.5]
