Cavs vs. Celtics Draws Big TV Numbers in NBA Cup Showdown

The face-off between the Celtics and Cavaliers had plenty of the ingredients required to drive viewers to their TV screens. And it delivered.

The game averaged 1.94 million viewers on TNT, up 79% over last year’s comparable game, and peaked at 2.7 million viewers. 

The total for Tuesday night’s doubleheader dipped to an average of just 1.6 million viewers due to the Thunder-Spurs nightcap, where Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren were missing due to injury, but the overall average was still 42% higher than Night 3 of the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament, which also featured the Spurs-Thunder followed by Clippers-Nuggets.

The latest results have brought NBA viewership on TNT essentially even with last season at an average of 1.8 million viewers per game.

The 2024 Emirates NBA Cup games are averaging 1.56 million viewers through six games, which is just a 4% increase over last year. This season’s number is dragged down by Friday’s ESPN games (Lakers-Spurs, 1.28 million; Grizzlies-Warriors, 1.03 million), which were affected by the Mike Tyson–Jake Paul fight along with several other programs. 

A Proven Recipe 

The Cavs-Celtics viewership results showcased how, despite criticism against the league’s three-point-heavy style, an ostensibly meaningful contest featuring top teams and players can boost viewership.

The game had a clear storyline: The defending champions, entering the game at 11–3 and second in the East, battled a budding contender carrying a 15–0 record, the second-longest winning streak to start a season in league history. Most of the star players were healthy, and while no one had the name value of LeBron James—Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Donovan Mitchell are still top attractions.

It was also an NBA Cup showdown, and while it’s still not clear whether the in-season tournament is driving viewership—last Tuesday’s opener was up 71% but featured the return of Klay Thompson to Golden State—it at least provided additional intrigue to the battle. 

“Everybody knew that they were undefeated and coming to our building. And also, it’s an NBA Cup game, and we already lost one game. So it was a really big game in that aspect. So we were all aware,” Celtics guard Derrick White said after the game.