League: NBA Sport: Basketball Country: United States Category: Scores & Results

NBA ratings increase as new season begins

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Oct 29, 2026, 7:30 PM

Last updated Oct 29, 2026

NBA ratings increase as new season begins

Summary

The NBA is experiencing a ratings surge as it enters the second year of its broadcast deals with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video. Early viewership stats show a 19% jump in primetime windows, averaging 3.33 million viewers over the initial matchups. Expansion of national broadcasts has contributed, with 90 games scheduled across networks compared to 75 last season., NBC reported its most-watched tipoff game with Knicks-Sixers at 7.7 million viewers, while ESPN recorded its best opening week since 2014. Amazon also doubled viewership for its season opener, attracting 2.14 million fans. As fans adapt to the new broadcast schedule, the increase in exposure is proving beneficial for the league.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

By the Numbers

•NBA sees 19% increase in primetime viewership to start the season.
•Average viewers for early games reach 3.33 million.
•NBC's Knicks-Sixers game draws 7.7 million viewers.
•ESPN enjoys its best opening week since 2014.
•Amazon doubles its viewership for season opener.

Latest Updates

7:30 PMYahoo Sports — NBA ratings still rising to start new season

What they're saying

"
The NBA saw encouraging ratings growth in the first year of its new broadcast deals with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video thanks to additional broadcast exposure and a burgeoning crop of young stars. That success is now continuing in the second year of those media deals. According to Sports Business Journal’s Austin Karp, the…
— Yahoo Sports

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