While all other programming in the broadcast and cable ecosystem is eroding, live NFL and NBA games keep drawing bigger and bigger audiences.
Case in point was Sunday's NBA Western Conference first-round playoff decider between the defending champion Golden State Warriors and upstart Sacramento Kings, which averaged 10 million viewers on ABC, according an NBA press release Tuesday citing Nielsen data.
That was ABC's biggest NBA postseason audience ever outside the NBA Finals. It's notable, given the somewhat regional nature of the game featuring two teams from Northern California. (The Warriors won 120-100.)
Across all linear platforms, including ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV, the four just-completed first-round series averaged 3.4 million viewers, up 15% over last season, the NBA noted.
For Disney platforms (ABC and ESPN), it was the most-watched first round ever with an average of 4.5 million viewers, an 18% increase from last season. TNT delivered its most-watched first round in five years, averaging 3.5 million viewers (up 6% vs. last year).
The NBA App and @NBA social generated a record 2.6 billion video views during the first round, up 46% vs. 2022, the league also said.
Certainly, for the NBA and its broadcast partners, having the Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat all advance to their respective conference semi-finals boasts well for the second-round TV numbers. These teams are among the league's most popular.
Disney and TNT parent Warner Bros. Discovery are getting set to negotiate a renewal of their respective NBA national TV deals, which expire after the 2024-25 season. The NBA is reportedly looking for as much as $75 billion over nine years in combined media rights fees in for its next contract.
