TORONTO, ON – DECEMBER 05: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles around Patrick Patterson #54 of the Toronto Raptors during an NBA game at the Air Canada Centre on December 05, 2015 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
By Ken Fang on

As the Golden State Warriors continue their undefeated trek through the NBA, both of the Association’s national television partners hope they keep on winning. According to Advertising Age, both ESPN and TNT are seeing good ratings and reaping in advertising dollars because of the Warriors’ run towards the Los Angeles Lakers’ record 33 unbeaten game streak.

According to iSpot.tv estimates, NBA games on ESPN and TNT have generated $128.4 million in ad sales revenue since the season began. And while some of TNT’s upcoming prime-time telecasts will be shut down in observance of the holidays (Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve fall on successive Thursdays), through the first five weeks of the season the Turner net is out-earning ESPN in basketball.

AdAge says TNT has earned $77.4 million in ad revenue from the NBA thus far selling ads to car manufacturers, fast-food restaurants, telecommunications companies, movies and other usual marketers who buy sports. As for daily fantasy sites, only FanDuel has purchased time on the NBA on TNT.

As for ESPN, it hasn’t aired as many NBA games in the young season and it has taken in just less than $50 million in ad sales.

As for viewership, Golden State has accounted for six of the top-rated seven games this season. Only the season-opening Cleveland-Chicago game breaks the Warriors’ stranglehold on the NBA’s viewership.

And with this season being Kobe Bryant’s last, the partners will load up on Lakers games as he gets closer to the end. Plus there’s always the LeBron factor as the Cavaliers hope to dethrone the Warriors. So there are plenty of opportunities for the NBA’s TV partners to make a mint on the 2015-16 season.

For now, it’s the Golden State Warriors quest for a record and we’ll see how far they can go and how much ESPN and TNT will showcase them in the first half of the season.

[Advertising Age]

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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.

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