NBA Playoff TV Ratings Up 3% Ahead of Late-Round Test

The NBA is heading into the conference finals with postseason TV ratings trending up.

Through the first two rounds, the NBA playoffs are averaging 4.17 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, and TNT, which is up 3% compared to the same point in 2024. This marks the second-most-watched playoffs through the first two rounds since 2014, trailing only the 2023 postseason.

Conference semifinal games averaged 4.91 million viewers, up 1% over last year, after the opening round of play averaged 3.7 million viewers, which was up 6% compared to 2024.

The most-watched game of the playoffs so far is Game 4 of the Timberwolves-Lakers first-round series, which drew 7.35 million viewers on ABC. Minnesota eliminated Los Angeles one game later and then defeated the Warriors in Round 2, taking out the NBA’s top two TV draws.

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards now has a chance to make his case as the next face of the NBA. However, Minnesota is a big betting underdog (+235) against the Thunder in the Western Conference finals, which begin Tuesday night on ESPN.

Meanwhile, the Knicks are back in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years, which means the No. 1 U.S. media market, New York, should drive strong ratings for their series against the Pacers. It also extends the playoff run of the courtside celebrity row at Madison Square Garden.

With one of the Knicks, Pacers, Thunder, or T-Wolves set to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy next month, the NBA will have a new champion for the seventh consecutive season. The Warriors were the last team to win back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018. 

The unprecedented era of parity hasn’t hurt TV ratings this year, but whether this Final Four can continue to deliver big audiences remains to be seen.