NBA Playoffs Ratings Up 6%, Warriors-Rockets Sets Game 7 Record

The NBA has effectively leveraged its historic viewership during a holiday weekend to achieve an increase in their TV ratings.

In the first round of the 2024/25 postseason, the playoffs averaged 3.7 million viewers across networks including ABC, ESPN, and TNT, marking a 6% increase from last year’s average of 3.5 million, according to Nielsen.

A contributing factor to this rise was the average of 4.4 million viewers during the Playoffs’ opening night, which coincided with the Easter holiday.

This was also the NBA’s most-watched weekend in 25 years, reflecting a 17% increase from the prior year.

Comprising both ABC and ESPN, the average audience reached 4.46 million viewers over the course of 12 games, which is a 14% uptick from last year’s figures.

ABC led the ratings with an average of 5.56 million viewers across six games, marking a 14% increase, while the six games on ESPN recorded a 10% rise.

These figures resonate with the regular season’s performance, where ABC experienced a similar 10% rise, despite an overall 2% decline in national TV viewership plugged by reduced cable game broadcasts.

TNT reported an average viewership of 3.3 million across its 25 first-round playoff games, demonstrating a modest 3% growth from last year.

A standout moment in this round was Game 7 between the Warriors and Rockets, which attracted 6.6 million viewers, making it the most-watched first-round Game 7 on cable since 2009.

This game was the third-most-watched of the first round, surpassed only by two ABC weekend matchups: Game 4 of the Lakers vs. Timberwolves (7.4 million viewers) and Game 1 of Magic vs. Celtics (6.7 million viewers).

Looking ahead, the NBA’s challenge lies in sustaining this momentum as it transitions into the second round, following the elimination of star players such as LeBron James and Luka Dončić along with the Lakers.

During the regular season, the Lakers featured in the most-watched game (against the Warriors on Christmas Day), the most-viewed non-Christmas game (against the Celtics on March 8), and the leading non-Christmas, non-opening-night game on cable (versus the Mavericks on February 25).

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