NEW ORLEANS, LA – FEBRUARY 19: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans battle for the opening tip-off at the start of the 2017 NBA All-Star Game at Smoothie King Center on February 19, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

The NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans brought back viewers to the event this year. This year’s game averaged 7.8 million viewers on both TBS and TNT. That’s the most for the NBA All-Star Game since 2013. And it’s up 3% since last year which averaged 6.5 million.

The game peaked with 8.5 million viewers when the game began.

The night before, All-Star Saturday Night on TNT averaged 5.63 million which is a rise of 1% from 2016’s event.

In addition, both the All-Star Game and All-Star Saturday Night gave Turner networks the most-watched sports telecasts on cable for the week. And Turner says All-Star Saturday was the highest-rated program of the night across broadcast and cable.

The top-rated local markets for the All-Star Game are as follows:

1. Oklahoma City — 10.9
2. San Francisco and Cleveland — 10.3
4. New Orleans — 9.2
5. Memphis — 8.5

For All-Star Saturday Night, the top local markets look like this:

1. Cleveland — 7.5
2. New York — 5.4
3. San Francisco — 5.3
4. Las Vegas — 5.0
5. Washington — 4.9

As for online streaming, Turner notes that viewers on its TV Everywhere platforms (apps, desktop and laptop computers) increased by 46% with total video consumption increased by 37%.

One note is that this year’s All-Star festivities were in New Orleans while last year’s were in Toronto which probably depressed numbers a bit in 2016. And even with 2016 being Kobe Bryant’s last All-Star Game, the U.S. ratings could not count Toronto.

Turner is happy about its viewership numbers and will take it to the bank for this year.

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013.

He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television.

Fang celebrates the four Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.