NBA playoff viewership continues to run well ahead of the past three years.
Coverage of the NBA Playoffs has averaged 3.6 million viewers across ESPN, ABC and TNT through Thursday, up 23% from last year and up 29% from 2019, the previous postseason to begin in the month of April (2.80M). Viewership is also up 102% from the months-delayed postseason two years ago.
Of the 19 game windows that can be compared to 2019, all-but-two have posted an increase in viewership. While out-of-home viewing was not included in the 2019 numbers, out-of-home alone is unlikely to explain a nearly 30 percent increase.
The Nets-Celtics series continues to be the dominant draw of the first round. After Game 1 delivered the largest opening weekend NBA playoff audience in 20 years, Game 2 averaged 3.96 million viewers on TNT Wednesday — trailing only Lakers-Suns last year (4.02M*) as the most-watched Game 2 of a first round series in six years.
Viewership jumped as much as 53% from last year (Hawks-Knicks: 2.58M*) and an even-higher 83% from 2019 (Pacers-Celtics: 2.16M). The Celtics’ win dominated the night on television in adults 18-34 (1.25) and 18-49 (1.4) and won comfortably in 25-54 (1.5).
Each of the six nights of the postseason, an NBA playoff game has ranked as television’s top show in adults 18-34 and 18-49 (usually followed in second-place by another playoff game). In 25-54, a playoff game has topped the charts in five of six nights, the lone exception being Tuesday — when NBC’s “This is Us” took top honors.
Beyond Nets-Celtics, Bulls-Bucks and Warriors-Nuggets have been the strongest draws. Those three series account for seven of the ten largest playoff audiences thus far, including 3.22 and 3.70 million respectively for Games 2 and 3 of Warriors-Nuggets and 3.23 million for Chicago’s Game 2 upset of Milwaukee.
The Golden State games increased 16 and 11 percent from the equivalent games of their previous first round series in 2019 (2.77 and 3.32 million) but were a mixed bag compared to last year. While Game 2 increased as much as 26% from Blazers-Nuggets in the same year-ago window (2.55M*), Game 3 actually declined from Suns-Lakers (3.72M*).
Shifting to the other series, Memphis’ Game 3 comeback over Minnesota averaged 3.20 million on TNT Thursday — up as much as 28% from last year (Bucks-Heat: 2.49M*) and 9% from 2019 (Sixers-Nets: 2.93M). Game 2 drew 645,000 on NBA TV Tuesday, the network’s most-watched playoff game since 2018.
The Pelicans’ Game 2 upset of Phoenix scored 2.94 million Tuesday, down at least 27% from Lakers-Suns last year (4.02M*) but up 13% from 2019 (Thunder-Blazers: 2.59M).
Raptors-Sixers scored 2.74 million Monday on TNT, up as much as 11% from last year (Heat-Bucks: 2.45M*) but down 4% from ’19 (Nets-Sixers: 2.85M). Game 3 had 627,000 on NBA TV Wednesday, the network’s second-biggest playoff audience since 2018.
Finally, Hawks-Heat Game 2 had 2.70 million on TNT Tuesday (+10%); Games 2 and 3 of Jazz-Mavericks drew 514,000 and 420,000 on NBA TV Monday and Thursday.
* Asterisk indicates last year’s figure is pending revision due to Nielsen’s undercount of out-of-home data.
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 4.19, 4.20, 4.21, 4.22]
