Once upon a time NBA ratings were so distressing that the league was going to be forced to fold up shop.
As the season has gone on and the playoffs have started, those narratives of doom have started to dissipate. And in there place are coming headlines about record ratings in the postseason thus far.
On Tuesday, ESPN announced that through their first 11 games of the NBA Playoffs to date in Round 1, the network is seeing their highest average audience on record at just over 4.4 million viewers. This included the Lakers-Timberwolves dramatic Game 4 matchup on Sunday afternoon that drew 7.3 million viewers and peaked at over 10 million.
“ESPN is generating its largest NBA Playoffs audience ever across its platforms, according to Nielsen. Through 11 games, ESPN platforms are averaging 4,448,000 viewers, up 13 percent from last year. The second weekend of the NBA Playoffs, Saturday, April 26, and Sunday, April 27, averaged 5,462,000 viewers on ESPN platforms, up four percent from last season,” the network said in its release.
“This past weekend’s viewership was led by Sunday’s Game 4 of the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves on ABC. The Timberwolves victory over the Lakers averaged 7,345,000 viewers, making it the second-most watched Round 1, Game 4 ever on ESPN platforms. The broadcast peaked with 10,274,000 viewers at 6:30 p.m. ET. Viewership was up 32 percent vs. last year’s comparable playoff game (LA Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks Game 4).”
If this is the kind of viewership number the league can draw when Charles Barkley is “bored” by the playoffs thus far, just imagine what will happen once these games actually start getting good!
Of course, the Lakers and LeBron James are a huge part of these high ratings. And trailing 3-1 to Minnesota in their first round series isn’t going to do the league any favors if their biggest attraction faces an early playoff exit. But then again, maybe Anthony Edwards taking on LeBron and Luka and taking down the Lakers might help propel him to that superstar status that everyone around the league is waiting for.
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