NBA's New Media Deal: A Year in Review
The NBA is off to a strong start in 2026, with a 18% increase in viewership compared to the previous season. This impressive growth can be attributed to a combination of factors, including additional games on broadcast TV and a successful Christmas lineup. The average viewership across ABC/ESPN, NBC, and Prime Video has reached 2.02 million, surpassing the numbers from the start of 2025.
A closer look at regional performance reveals that 17 out of 29 teams in the U.S. are experiencing season-over-season gains. Interestingly, many of these teams are associated with Main Street Sports Group, which has recently faced financial challenges, missing payments to several franchises.
NBC's coverage has been particularly notable, with the Oct. 21 NBA Tip-Off doubleheader attracting the largest audience in 15 years. The Coast 2 Coast Tuesday series, which features regionalized windows, made its debut on Oct. 28, and the Dec. 2 Knicks-Celtics game became the most-watched NBA Tuesday game since 1996. NBC's Tuesday prime-time games are averaging a remarkable 2.9 million viewers, an 87% increase from the previous season.
ESPN and ABC are also performing well, with a 30% season-to-date increase in viewership. Despite having fewer games on cable TV this season, these networks are averaging 2.53 million viewers, including ABC's Christmas games and a mix of midweek and weekend games on ESPN.
Prime Video's debut NBA season is attracting an average of 1.2 million viewers per game. When comparing with the previous season, Amazon is holding its own, with a slight 3% decrease in viewership. However, there's a positive trend among specific demographics: viewership among adults 18-34 is up 13%, adults 18-49 is up 20%, and adults 25-54 is up 17%. The Knicks-Spurs Emirates NBA Cup Final remains Prime Video's most-watched game, drawing 3.1 million viewers.
One notable aspect is the younger audience on Prime Video, with the NBA's median age being 46.6 years, nearly eight years younger than the linear TV audience this season. The NBA has also set a record with a total audience of 115 million people watching national games this season, an 85% increase compared to the same period last year. Additionally, social media engagement has soared, with 75 billion video views across platforms, a 32% increase from the previous season.
