NBA on ESPN viewership up seven percent in 1st half of 2015-16 season

The NBA remains a hot sports property. ESPN seems that it couldn’t be happier to have signed the Association to a long-term contract well into the next decade. Through the first-half of the 2015-16 season, ESPN is seeing a seven percent uptick through 50 games.

ESPN is averaging 1.727 million viewers and a 1.1 rating this season as compared to 1.613 million and a 1.1 rating at the same point for 2014-15.

For ABC, the network is averaging 5.506 million viewers with a 2.9 rating and that’s also up 7% from last season’s 4.74 million. ABC’s slate of games includes two Saturday primetime games which did not exist last season.

As for online streaming, WatchESPN is seeing its best season ever for the NBA. An average of of 143,500 unique viewers are watching through the ESPN online app. That’s up 69% from last season.

Some items from this season that ESPN wants you to know about the NBA this season from its official announcement:

• ESPN had its most-watched Christmas prime-time doubleheader ever;
• ABC’s NBA Finals rematch – Golden State vs. Cleveland – on Christmas drew approximately 11 million viewers, making it the most-watched Christmas game in six years;
• The new NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC franchise has won the night across multiple key demos in each of its first two broadcasts;
• ESPN’s Golden State vs. Oklahoma City telecast on Feb. 6, was the most-watched regular-season NBA game on ESPN since 2014 (non-Christmas) and the most-watched NBA regular-season game ever on WatchESPN;
• Viewership for the NBA All-Star 2016 Celebrity Game on ESPN was up 14 percent compared to last year.

So overall, ESPN is seeing higher viewership numbers and is looking forward to the second half of the season where it can build on its increased audience from the first half of 2015-16.

[ESPN]