The NBA In-Season Tournament Championship Sets Viewership Records on ABC and ESPN2
Based on television ratings, the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament was a smashing success.
The tournament managed to inject some life into the normally dreary NBA season, and the league’s television ratings show it.
The tournament finale, which saw the Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Indiana Pacers, managed to bring 4.58 million viewers on ABC and ESPN2, making the championship the most-watched NBA game since February 2018 (excluding Christmas Day games).
The victory not only gave the Los Angeles Lakers a new kind of trophy, but each player won $500,000.
A Boon For ABC and ESPN
According to Nielsen, viewership peaked at 11 p.m. ET when nearly 5.7 million viewers turned in. The audience average was up 46% versus last year’s NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC debut between the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors.
While the traditional NBA broadcast aired on ABC, ESPN2 aired a Manningcast-style broadcast hosted by Kevin Hart. The ESPN2 telecast made up 10% of the total audience.
Streaming Numbers Were Also Up
The championship game was also available on the NBA League Pass outside of linear television. There, it was the most-engaged game ever. Additionally, throughout the NBA In-Season Tournament, NBA League Pass viewership was up 45% vs. last season.
Between the strong television ratings and the way that NBA players embraced the In-Season Tournament, the new wrinkle to the NBA season looks to be here to stay. With Disney set to renegotiate their NBA television rights, the In-Season Tournament will be a valuable asset for both parties.
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