NBA Posts Best Opening-Month TV Ratings in 15 Years
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The NBA’s new broadcast package is off to a strong start, drawing more than 60 million viewers across national telecasts on NBC and Peacock, Amazon Prime Video and ESPN during the first month of the regular season, the league said Thursday.
According to the NBA, the figure marks the highest opening-month audience since 2008-09. The comparison excludes the 2011-12 campaign, which began on Christmas Day.
Digital Reach and Merchandise
League-produced content has generated over 30 billion views on NBA-owned and third-party social platforms, putting the season on a record pace. Online merchandise sales at NBAStore.com have climbed more than 20 percent, fueled in part by rising interest in younger standouts such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, Victor Wembanyama, Tyrese Maxey, Cooper Flagg, Jalen Brunson and Luka Doncic.
League Pass and Attendance
NBA League Pass subscriptions are up 10 percent year over year, while total viewing time has grown 8 percent. In arenas, attendance remains near last season’s 97 percent capacity, the second-highest mark in league history.
Ten clubs—the Celtics, Cavaliers, Warriors, Rockets, Heat, Knicks, Thunder, Suns, Spurs and Jazz—have sold out every home date so far. The Hawks and Hornets have each reported attendance gains of nearly 10 percent.
The encouraging numbers come as the NBA begins an 11-year, $76 billion media rights agreement that runs through 2034-35.
Source: Hoops Wire
