The NBA's TV ratings are on the rise, but is it all smooth sailing? A ratings boost on a significant day raises questions.
The NBA's Martin Luther King Day games, moving from cable to broadcast, witnessed a significant viewership boost compared to last year's numbers. The Mavericks-Knicks and Thunder-Cavaliers matchups on NBC attracted an average of 2.2 million and 1.8 million viewers, respectively, according to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics. This marks a substantial increase from the 1.3 million and 671,000 viewers for similar games on TNT in 2023.
But here's where it gets interesting: these games delivered the NBA's largest afternoon audiences on MLK Day since records began in 1992. However, primetime games on TNT have historically drawn larger audiences, with the 2017 Cavaliers-Warriors game attracting 4.7 million viewers.
The NBA's scheduling strategy has shifted, though, as they stopped scheduling primetime TNT games on MLK Day in 2022 due to NFL playoff games. This change in scheduling may have impacted overall viewership trends.
NBC's unique approach to viewership measurement is worth noting. They use Adobe Analytics to track streaming audiences, which Nielsen does not include. NBC argues that this combined data is comparable to other networks' Nielsen-only numbers.
Controversial Viewpoint: Some might argue that the shift to broadcast and the resulting viewership increase is a sign of the NBA's growing popularity. But is it a sustainable trend, or just a temporary boost?
Adding to the complexity, Nielsen's recent methodological changes, such as including out-of-home viewing and adopting a new currency model, make year-over-year comparisons challenging.
In other NBA news, NBC's 'Coast 2 Coast Tuesday' on January 13th drew a solid audience, with an estimated 1.2 rating and 2.04 million viewers, rising to 2.8 million with Adobe Analytics. This was a rare high point for the NBA in a typically quieter period.
ESPN and Prime Video also saw some fluctuations in viewership. ESPN's January 14th games had a slight dip in ratings compared to last year, while Prime Video's games the following night saw both a decrease (-21%) and a significant increase (+50%) in viewership.
The NBA's overall viewership is up 19% year-over-year, averaging 1.92 million viewers across NBCUniversal, ESPN/ABC, and Prime Video. But the real story is in the total reach, which has skyrocketed by 91% to 123 million. This massive increase could be a sign of a broader audience sampling NBA games, or it could be influenced by the aforementioned methodological changes.
What's your take on the NBA's viewership trends? Do you think the MLK Day boost is a sign of sustained growth, or a temporary blip? Share your thoughts in the comments, and let's spark a conversation!
Jon Lewis, a veteran sports media journalist, has been providing daily insights since 2006 through Sports Media Watch. Connect with him on Twitter (https://x.com/paulsen_smw) or Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/sportsmediawatch.bsky.social) to stay updated on the latest sports media news.
