ESPN is enjoying its strongest start to an NBA season in more than a decade, according to figures released by the network and Nielsen.
Across the first 21 regular-season telecasts through Christmas, ESPN averaged 2.6 million viewers, a 35 percent increase over the same stretch last year. The performance represents the network’s second-best opening run since it began carrying NBA games in 2002, trailing only the 2010-11 season.
Christmas Day draws big numbers
The audience surge extended to the league’s traditional Christmas Day showcase. More than 47 million U.S. viewers watched at least part of the five-game schedule on ESPN and ABC, a 45 percent jump from 2022. The games averaged 5.5 million viewers, up four percent year over year.
Growth across key demographics
ESPN reported notable gains among several audience segments, with NBA viewership up 47 percent among women and 37 percent among Hispanic viewers.
Studio shows also posting gains
“Inside the NBA,” now airing on ESPN in its first season with the network, is pulling in an average of 1.2 million viewers—up 135 percent compared with last season’s regular-season average when the program aired on TNT. The Christmas Day edition attracted 5.1 million viewers, marking the show’s largest regular-season audience on record.
Weekday studio program “NBA Today” is averaging 361,000 viewers, a 26 percent increase from the comparable point last season.
The strong ratings arrive during the inaugural season of the NBA’s new 11-year media rights agreement with ESPN, NBC and Prime Video.
Source: Hoops Wire
