Lakers, Mavs Becomes Season’s Most Watched Cable Telecast

The first game between the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers, which marked Luka Dončić’s first appearance against his old team has garnered 2.5 million viewers on TNT, making it the most-watched cable telecast since the NBA’s opening night, illustrating the significant interest generated by Dončić’s recent trade.

Viewership figures reflect a growing trend in strong ratings for Lakers games, particularly since Dončić’s first appearance on February 10 against the Utah Jazz, which attracted 2.01 million viewers on ESPN and was one of the most-watched games exclusive to cable this season.

The Lakers continued to draw audiences, pulling in 2.87 million viewers on ABC against the Denver Nuggets over the weekend, which ranks among the ten most-watched games of the season, further emphasising the burgeoning viewership interest surrounding the Lakers following Dončić’s arrival.

Comparatively, the previous high for viewership was the 2022 Finals rematch between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors, which reached 2.14 million viewers.

These figures highlight the importance of star players like Dončić in shaping audience engagement and trends within the sports broadcasting landscape, as teams look to leverage their marketability for higher viewership and engagement.

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