Viewership for NBA All-Star Weekend was up across the board entering Sunday’s All-Star Game.
NBA All-Star Saturday Night averaged 5.1 million viewers on TNT, per Nielsen fast-nationals, the largest audience for the event in three years (2017: 5.63M). Viewership has now increased in back-to-back years, the first such streak since a run of four-straight increases from 2006-09. Ratings were not immediately available.
The telecast, which peaked with 6.4 million viewers from 10:15-10:30 PM ET, increased 2% from last year (5.02M) and 9% from 2018 (4.66M).
Even with the increase, it was still the third-least watched All-Star Saturday Night since 2007 (4.84M).
On Friday night, the NBA Rising Stars Challenge averaged 1.48 million viewers on TNT — the most-watched edition of that game since 2015 (1.56M). Viewership increased 1% from last year (1.46M) and 6% from 2018 (1.39M).
The preceding NBA All-Star Celebrity Game averaged a 0.9 rating (+11%) and 1.45 million viewers (+9%) on ESPN. Even with the bump, it was still the second-least watched edition of that game since at least 2007.
As for the games that count, ESPN averaged a 1.0 and 1.45 million for Lakers-Nuggets on Wednesday night — down a tick in ratings and 8% in viewership from last year (Spurs-Warriors: 1.1, 1.58M) but up a third and 34% respectively from 2018 (Spurs-Suns: 0.8, 1.08M).
Earlier in the night, the network drew a 0.6 (-25%) and 878,000 (-29%) for the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Bucks against the Pacers.
TNT fared better the previous night. Clippers-Sixers (0.7, 1.07M) increased 40% in ratings and 37% in viewership and Celtics-Rockets (0.8, 1.24M) jumped 61% and 64% respectively. Due to a Nielsen processing error, accurate figures for Thursday’s Clippers-Celtics game were not immediately available.
[Nielsen estimates from NBA, Turner Sports, Programming Insider 2.13, 2.14]
