NBA sees early playoff ratings boost, driven by over-the-air games

Playoffs Averaging 3.84M Viewers, Highest Since 1993

The NBA playoffs are averaging 3.84 million viewers across NBCUniversal, ESPN/ABC and Amazon's Prime Video through Sunday. The number is up 20% from last year and represents the highest average viewership since 1993. Sunday's Game 4 between the Celtics and Sixers lead the way with 6.3 million viewers. Game 4 between the Lakers and Rockets, also on Sunday, averaged 6.2 million viewers. Saturday's Game 4 between the Knicks and Hawks delivered the …

NBA sees early playoff ratings boost, driven by over-the-air games

Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn ImagesWe are a week and a half into the NBA playoffs, and the league continues to see strong viewership numbers. Through 27 telecasts, the 2026 NBA playoffs are the most viewed since 1993. As of Sunday, the NBA is averaging 3.84 million viewers for first-round playoff games on ABC, NBC, ESPN, and Prime Video. That’s up 7% from games on ABC, ESPN, and TNT in the same period last year (3.61 million). The increase is 2…

NBA playoff viewership rising at accelerating rate through Sunday

The following article "NBA playoff viewership rising at accelerating rate through Sunday" originally appeared on Sports Media Watch. The new NBA media rights deal has already been a boon for the league's playoff viewership. Visit Sports Media Watch for more sports media news and information.