• Loading stock data...
Friday, May 30, 2025

ESPN, ABC Set NBA Playoff Ratings Record, TNT Nets Most-Watched Since 2014

  • Broadcasts through the first two rounds have been the most-watched ever on ESPN platforms.
  • Sunday’s Celtics-76ers game on ABC was the most-watched Semifinals Game 7 on any network since 2008.
NBA playoff games are averaging 5.2 million viewers on ESPN platforms.
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

This year’s first two rounds of the NBA Playoffs have been ratings hits for ESPN and TNT.

Across 27 NBA Playoff games on ESPN platforms (including ABC), broadcasts are averaging 5.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched NBA Playoffs ever on ESPN platforms and a 14% viewership increase over last year’s coverage. 

ABC’s telecast of the Boston Celtics’ 24-point Game 7 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday delivered the network’s largest NBA conference semifinals audience since 2011. It was also the most-watched conference semifinal game on any network since 2008, with 8,441,000 average viewers and peaking at 10,165,000 viewers. 

TNT’s NBA playoff broadcasts have been its most-watched since 2014, per Sports TV Ratings. Through two rounds, games on TNT are averaging 4.1 million viewers—a 10% increase over last year. The second-round games alone on TNT averaged 5.3 million viewers, the most for the network since 2012 and a 16% jump over last year.

Disney’s ESPN/ABC and Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT will look to retain NBA rights once the league’s current media rights deals expire after the 2024-25 season. The NBA will seek a combined $50 billion to $75 billion in rights fees, with potential suitors also expected to span NBC Sports, Amazon, Apple, and Google/YouTube.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

MSG Tickets for Potential Pacers-Knicks Game 7 Start at $1,100

The current get-in price for a potential Game 7 is $1,099.
Zion Williamson
breaking

Zion Williamson Accused of Rape and Abuse in Lawsuit

The woman says their relationship began when he was at Duke in 2018.

Panthers-Oilers Rematch Could Be Big in Canada. Will U.S. Ratings Dip?

Likely viewership declines in the U.S. are countered by robust Canadian audiences.

Featured Today

How the Champions League Anthem Took on a Life of Its Own

The composer didn’t know he wrote a timeless hit three decades ago.
May 25, 2025

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Mar 23, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Alexandra Eala (PHI) reacts after winning a point against Madison Keys (USA)(not pictured) on day six of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
May 24, 2025

Alex Eala Is Defying Her Country’s Odds to Make French Open History

The Philippines native has overcome a unique set of financial odds.
May 24, 2025

Indiana Is the Center of the Basketball Universe—Thanks to Both Pro Teams

The Fever and Pacers are thriving at the same time.
May 28, 2025

NBA East Finals Delivers Strong TV Ratings, but West Is Struggling

The Pacers and Thunder are both up 3–1 in their conference finals series.
May 30, 2025

French Open Scheduling Sparks Backlash Over Women’s Time Slots

Coco Gauff has also said the French Open schedule could be improved.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
Around the Horn
May 23, 2025

Behind the Scenes of Around the Horn’s Final Days

FOS followed Tony Reali at the penultimate taping of the ESPN icon.
Around the Horn - October 26, 2020
May 23, 2025

‘Quirky, Nutty, Bombastic’: 10 ‘Around the Horn’ Faces on Their Top Moments

“A quirky, nutty, bombastic, mostly wrong, sometimes right, crazy sports family.”
May 22, 2025

NBC Eyes MLB Rights, Looks to Own Sunday Nights Year-Round

The league continues to shop media rights being forfeited by ESPN.
May 21, 2025

Paige Bueckers’s WNBA Debut Delivers 121% Ratings Bump on Ion

Friday’s doubleheader averaged 612,000 viewers.