NBA Breaks Audience Records at the Start of the Season
NBA games broadcasts on NBC/Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, and ESPN have drawn over 60 million viewers during the first month of the regular season, the league announced on Thursday. This figure represents the highest-rated season start in the last 15 years.This impressive number does not include the 2011-12 season, which began on Christmas Day, traditionally one of the highest-rated days on the NBA calendar. This is a very positive indicator for the league in the first four weeks of the season, especially considering the new 11-year, $76 billion deal with its broadcast partners.
NBA content has accumulated over 30 billion views on the league’s and third-party social media platforms, a record for this point in the season. In addition, merchandise sales on NBAStore.com have increased by more than 20%, driven in part by players the league considers “next-generation stars,” including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, Victor Wembanyama, Tyrese Maxey, Cooper Flagg, Jalen Brunson, and Luka Doncic. The NBA League Pass platform has experienced a 10% increase in subscriptions, with an 8% increase in time spent watching games on the platform, according to the league. Success is not limited to screens. Attendance at games in stadiums is maintaining the same pace as last season, which was the second-best in league history, with a capacity close to 97% across the league so far. Ten teams had sold out all tickets for their home games as of Thursday: the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, and Utah Jazz. Other teams, such as Atlanta and Charlotte, have recorded an increase of almost 10% in attendance compared to the previous year.
