NBA's New Media Deal: A Year in Review
The NBA's inaugural year under its new media-rights deals has been a triumph, with a remarkable 18% increase in viewership. This achievement is attributed to a strategic shift in broadcasting, featuring more games on broadcast TV and fewer on cable, along with a stellar Christmas lineup. The average viewership across ABC/ESPN, NBC, and Prime Video has soared to 2.02 million, surpassing the combined average of ABC/ESPN and TNT/truTV from the start of the previous season.
A closer look at regional performance reveals that 17 out of 29 teams in the U.S. are experiencing season-over-season growth. Interestingly, many of these teams are currently represented by Main Street Sports Group, which has recently faced financial challenges, missing payments to several NBA franchises.
NBC's coverage has been particularly impressive, with the Oct. 21 NBA Tip-Off doubleheader marking the best in 15 years. The Coast 2 Coast Tuesday series, introduced on Oct. 28, further solidified NBC's dominance, attracting the largest pre-Christmas audience for an NBA Tuesday game since 1996. NBC's Tuesday games now boast an average of 2.9 million viewers, an 87% increase from the previous season.
ESPN and ABC, despite hosting fewer cable TV games this season, have seen a 30% increase in viewership, averaging 2.53 million viewers. This includes the ABC Christmas games and a diverse mix of midweek and weekend games on ESPN.
Prime Video's debut NBA season has been a success, averaging 1.2 million viewers per game. When compared to the previous season, Amazon's performance remains stable, with a mere 3% decrease in viewership. However, there's a notable shift in demographics, with a 13% increase in viewers aged 18-34, a 20% increase in viewers aged 18-49, and a 17% increase in viewers aged 25-54.
The Knicks-Spurs Emirates NBA Cup Final remains Prime Video's most-watched game, attracting 3.1 million viewers. Interestingly, the NBA's median age on Prime Video is 46.6 years, significantly younger than the 54.5 years on linear TV this season.
The NBA's overall viewership has reached an all-time high, with 115 million people tuning in to national games this season, the highest figure ever recorded at this stage. The combined viewership across NBC/Peacock, ESPN/ABC, Prime Video, and NBA TV has surged by 85% compared to the same period last year. Additionally, the NBA has amassed 75 billion video views across social media platforms, a 32% increase from the previous season, according to Videocites data.
This success story underscores the NBA's strategic media deal, which has not only boosted viewership but also attracted a younger, more engaged audience. The league's ability to adapt and innovate continues to drive its growth and popularity.
