NBA sees highest opening-month viewership in 15 years, report social media engagement

(AP) — National NBA video games being proven on NBC/Peacock, Amazon Prime Video or ESPN have drawn greater than 60 million viewers by means of the primary month of the common season, the league introduced Thursday, noting that’s the highest opening whole in 15 years.

That doesn’t embrace the 2011-12 season, which opened on Christmas Day — historically one of many largest viewership days on the NBA calendar. Still, it’s a really constructive signal for the league by means of the season’s first 4 weeks and with this being the primary of an 11-year, $76 billion take care of its broadcast companions.

NBA content material has commanded greater than 30 billion views throughout social media platforms operated by the league and third events, which is a report for this level in a season. Sales of merchandise on NBAStore.com is up greater than 20%, the league added, with these numbers pushed partly by who the league calls “next generation stars” — like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, Victor Wembanyama, Tyrese Maxey, Cooper Flagg, Jalen Brunson and Luka Doncic.

NBA League Pass has seen subscriptions go up 10%, with time spent viewing video games on the platform up 8%, the league mentioned.

And it’s not simply screens seeing good numbers.

In-arena attendance to date is on tempo with final season, which was the second-best for attendance in league historical past with about 97% capability leaguewide thus far. There are 10 groups that entered Thursday having bought out each residence recreation to date this season — the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz. Other groups, like Atlanta and Charlotte, are up practically 10% over final 12 months’s attendance numbers.