Basketball is among the world’s most beloved sports, with over 20 million people partaking in the activity yearly. Some play for fun, while others compete professionally, and there is no other bigger professional stage than the NBA.
Despite being based in the United States, the NBA has fans worldwide. The league is filled with some of the best athletes from all across the globe, making every minute a must-watch.
Continue reading to learn more about the NBA’s viewership statistics and facts in 2024, such as:
- All-time and latest viewership stats
- NBA regular and post-season viewership statistics
- NBA Viewership growths and trends.
Highlights of the Article
- Despite being US-based, 70% of NBA’s viewers are foreigners.
- The 2019-2020 NBA Regular Season was the league’s most-watched regular season, delivering an average of 1.64 million views.
- An increase in average viewership rate of up to 18% happened during the 2023 NBA Game 7 between the Warriors and the Kings.
- Three of the NBA Finals 1998 games between the Bulls and Jazz are the most viewed finals games ever, surpassing 30 million views per game.
- Michael Jordan’s retirement negatively impacted the 1994 NBA All-Star Game viewership, experiencing a 40.3% decrease.
- The pandemic affected the viewership of the 2020 NBA Finals, resulting in 6M views—the lowest number in NBA history.
- The Dynamic Duo of Lakers–Shaq and Kobe—split up and faced off in the 2004 Christmas Day match-up, amassing 13.18 million viewers.
- More than 17.88 million viewers witnessed the first-ever NBA title of the Denver Nuggets against the Miami Heat with 3 NBA titles.
- Wemby won the Rookie of the Year (2024), where his dunk made its way to the top 2 most viewed plays, with around 247M views.
How Many People Watch the NBA in 2024?
Since 2019, the 2022-23 NBA regular season has been one of the most popular with TV viewers across multiple channels (TNT, ESPN, and ABC).
While the intensity of the excitement cannot be matched when watching in an arena or stadium, online streams continue to provide a heart-pounding experience to over 1.6 million viewers in 2024.
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | VIEWS |
| 2019 – 2020 | 1.64M |
| 2020 – 2021 | 1.34M |
| 2021 – 2022 | 1.61M |
| 2022 – 2023 | 1.60M |
Let’s explore the all-time and most recent viewership figures in the NBA season.
All-Time NBA Viewership Statistics
The NBA had a long history before it became a global phenomenon, dating back to the merger and the Olympic Dream Team. With the digital revolution, millions of international fans can easily watch the NBA, drawing an average of 1.5 million viewers since 2019.
Globally, the league’s broadcasting rights contract is worth $2.66 billion per year. Within 10 years, NBA revenue has more than doubled, reaching over $10 billion in 2022-23.
Here are the all-time and most recent viewership and some key figures.
Here are the all-time and most recent viewership and some key figures.
1. Game 7 of the Warriors-Kings WCF First Round match-up on ABC garnered 9.8 million viewers.
(NBA Communications, The Sporting News)
On April 30, 2023, the first-round series between the Warriors and Kings ended with a Game 7 win by the GSW, amassing over 9.8 million viewers on ABC. The deciding game was the most-watched first-round NBA playoff match in 24 years, reaching 11.9 million peak viewers.
Besides ABC, the NBA playoffs delivered a high viewership result to other live-streaming stations.
- TNT had an average of 3.5 million views in five years, a 6% increase from the preceding season.
- ESPN’s viewership increased by 18% from the 2022 NBA season, gathering 4.5 million viewers.
- NBA TV experienced a 15% increase in views compared to the 2022 NBA season.
2. LeBron James’ overtaking of the NBA All-Time Scoring Record garnered 2.8 billion views globally.
(ESPN, NBA)
LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s regular-season career, setting a new NBA all-time scoring record. On February 7, 2023, LeBron became the greatest scorer in the history of the NBA, tallying 38,390 points.
Almost 19,000 NBA fans witnessed the record-breaking event live at the Crypto.com Arena. LeBron James’ social media viewership also skyrocketed, totaling over 2.8 billion views.
As of 2024, Lebron has reached 40,000 points, the only person in NBA history to reach this achievement, justifying why King James is among the highest-paid players ever.
Fun Fact
LeBron James is the oldest active player in the NBA in 2024, at 39 years old. The “King” has been in the league since 2003 and has played 1,492 regular season games and 287 playoff games (another NBA record).
His stamina, game adaptability, and longevity are among the many traits that put him in the “Basketball GOAT” conversation, pitting him against Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
3. Game 6 of the ’97-’98 NBA Finals between the Bulls and Jazz is the most-watched playoff game in league history.
(Sportskeeda, Sports Media Watch)
Game 6 of the ‘97-’98 NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz is the most-watched match in league history, averaging 35.89 million viewers. The game was significant as many fans speculated it to be Michael Jordan’s last game as a Bulls.
During the game’s final seconds, Jordan made an iconic sports moment, stealing a pass from Stockton and making “the shot” to give the Bulls a one-point lead. The Bulls won the game, 87-86, leading to their 6th title in 8 years and their second three-peat.
The Bulls-Jazz rivalry is among the most-watched in NBA history, with the match-up appearing in three of the five most-viewed NBA Finals. For more information, refer to the table below.
| NBA FINALS MATCH-UP | GAME | VIEWERSHIP NUMBERS |
| 1. Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz | 1998 Game 6 | 35.89 million |
| 2. Chicago Bulls vs. Phoenix Suns | 1993 Game 6 | 32.1 million |
| 3. Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors | 2016 Game 7 | 31.02 million |
| 4. Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz | 1997 Game 5 | 31.0 million |
| 5. Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz | 1998 Game 5 | 30.6 million |
4. The NBA All-Star Game viewership had a major 40.3% drop in 1994.
(NBA, Sports Media Watch)
Michael Jordan is a Basketball legend. “His Airness” is arguably the most respected player due to his dominance. There is no denying that the majority of the world considers him the greatest player of all time.
Jordan’s performance in every NBA All-Star Game (ASG) is highly anticipated. The NBA credits his presence in the 1993 NBA ASG with making it the most-watched ASG in league history. The game drew 22.91 million viewers on NBC, with a TV rating of 14.3%.
When the GOAT announced his retirement in 1994, the sudden news stunned the crowd. Fans began to lose interest in the 1994 All-Star Game, resulting in a 40.34% decline.
5. The 2020 NBA Finals has the lowest viewership in history, with Game 3 acquiring only 6.08 million viewers.
(Sports Media Watch)
The 2020 NBA Final viewership ratings dropped significantly, with Game 5 drawing the most attention, at 9.19 million viewers. On the other hand, the game with the fewest viewers was Game 3, with only 6.08 million viewers.
Compared to the previous NBA finals from 2010 to 2019, Game 3 of the NBA Finals 2020 saw the most significant drop of 54.46%. Following the pandemic, the 2021 Game 3 viewership rating recovered, increasing to 52.14%.
| GAME | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
| Game 1 | 13.38M | 7.69M | 8.70M |
| Game 2 | 13.89M | 6.78M | 9.59M |
| Game 3 | 13.35M | 6.08M | 9.25M |
| Game 4 | 12.79M | 7.70M | 10.46M |
| Game 5 | 18.60M | 9.19M | 10.02M |
| Game 6 | 18.76M | 8.59M | 12.78M |
Fun Fact
The 2020 NBA Bubble was a monumental achievement for the NBA. Amidst the COVID-19 restrictions, the NBA was among the few sports leagues worldwide that managed to push through and continue operations.
The NBA built a $190 million bubble-shaped sports complex at Walt Disney World and invited 22 qualified NBA teams to battle for the 2020 NBA championship. The Bubble yielded $1.5 billion in revenue for the league.
NBA Viewership Statistics in the Regular Season
With around 1,230 regular season games, NBA fans are treated to 19 weeks of competitive match-ups that showcase the peak of basketball. With thousands of quality games to watch, It is no surprise that the NBA regular season has reached an average of 1.5 million viewers from 2019-2024.
However, the NBA teams rely on the income generated from the gate receipts. The average home attendance per game is around 18,000, with the Chicago Bulls drawing over 20,000.
Read below for the stats and facts of the NBA regular season.
6. A burning Christmas clash between Shaq and Kobe garnered 13.18M viewers in the 2004-05 NBA season.
(Talk Sport)
The “Most Dominant Lakers Duo in History” who brought a three-peat to LA ended when the organization traded O’Neal to the Miami Heat in the 2004 pre-season. The trade resulted in a heated feud between Kobe and Shaq that rumbled for a few years.
NBA capitalized on the feud by pitting Kobe’s Lakers against Shaq’s Heat in the 2004 NBA Christmas Day Game, the first time the ex-duo was matched up. The heated rivalry boosted the viewership to 13.18 million, the most-viewed NBA Christmas Game ever.
Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade led the Heat to an OT victory, scoring 24 and 29, respectively. Despite the victory, Kobe Bryant won the home crowd’s hearts with a stellar 42-point performance.
7. The 2023-24 NBA Regular Season set a new all-time high record, with a 4.32% increase in total attendance.
(NBA)
Over 22.5 million NBA fans filled the arenas with a percentage capacity of 98% in the 2023-24 NBA regular season. The attendance surpassed the previous season by 4.32%, marking the most attended regular season in the history of the NBA.
Global NBA fans of over 150 nationalities attended their most awaited event and sold out every true home game for the following teams:
- Boston Celtics
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Dallas Mavericks
- Denver Nuggets
- Golden State Warriors
- Miami Heat
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Phoenix Suns
- Sacramento Kings
- Utah Jazz
The table below shows the highest NBA Regular-Season total and average attendance.
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TOTAL ATTENDANCE | AVERAGE ATTENDANCE |
| 2023-2024 | 22,538,518 | 18,324 |
| 2022-2023 | 22,234,502 | 18,077 |
| 2017-2018 | 22,124,558 | 17,987 |
| 2016-2017 | 21,997,412 | 17,884 |
| 2015-2016 | 21,972,129 | 17,864 |
8. The Steal-turned-dunk of Dallas Mavs is the most-viewed play in the 2023-24 NBA Regular Season with over 250M views.
(NBA Communications, NBA IG)
In a crucial game on March 21, 2024, the Dallas Mavericks battled the Utah Jazz to secure the sixth seed in the West. The Mavs pounded the Jazz and kept them off-balance with a steal-dunk fest, resulting in a 113-97 score.
Among the dunks by the Mavs, NBA fans roared over the steal-turned-dunk sequence of the Mavericks, garnering over 250 million views. The play was the most viewed highlight across all NBA socials.
- Luka Doncic steals and dives on the floor.
- Kyrie Irving receives and tosses the ball.
- Derrick Jones Jr. catches and dunks the thrown ball.
NBA Post-Season Viewership Statistics
With the digital revolution, TV usage has decreased, particularly among the younger demographics. More casual and avid fans enjoy long and short-form content posted on social media.
However, the NBA has innovated more gameplay, increasing average viewership. The 2023 NBA Playoffs had the highest average viewership in five years, with 2.7 TV ratings and 5.12 million viewers across three broadcast channels.
Read on to find out how the league’s viewership regained its momentum.
9. Game 3 of the 2023 NBA of Western Conference Semifinals peaked with more than 9.71 million viewers on ABC broadcast.
(NBA, Basketball Reference)
Among all US networks, the ABC broadcast of the 2023 NBA Western Conference Semifinals Game 3 of Lakers-Warriors had the most views in 24 years, delivering an average of 8,373,000 viewers.
The game saw LAL defeat GSW 127–97, drawing a peak audience of 9,719,000 viewers. The Lakers-Warriors 2023 semis match-up lasted six games, decided by a dominant 122-101 win by the Lakers from Lebron’s 30-point barrage.
10. Over 19,000 home fans witnessed the Celtics smashing the Cavaliers with a 4-1 win in the 2024 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals.
(NBA, ESPN)
The TD Garden hosted Game 5 of the Celtics-Cavaliers match-up, with a total attendance of 19,156. Boston Celtics ruled the game series with a 4-1 win, ending the series with a 113 score.
Jayson Tatum was crucial in this close-out game, contributing 33 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists. The Celtics advanced to the 2024 NBA Eastern Conference Finals, waiting for the winner between the Pacers-Knicks playoff.
11. An average of 11.64 million ABC viewers witnessed the Denver Nuggets’ winning moment in the 2023 NBA Finals.
(NBA Communications, Statista)
The 2023 NBA Finals on ABC experienced a 6.13% decrease in TV viewership compared to the previous finals broadcast. While there was a viewer rate drop-off, the ABC NBA Finals viewership was the most-watched across all broadcasts, accounting for 11.64 million views.
After a 47-year finals drought, Nuggets fans witnessed the team’s dominant 4-1 win over the Miami Heat. The clinching final game reached a peak of over 17.88 million viewers in the last few minutes of the ABC broadcast.
Fun Fact
With the most-awaited championship title of the Denver Nuggets, Nikola Jokic also won his first-ever Bill Russell trophy.Jokic finished the game with a remarkable performance, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s playoff record for the most triple-doubles. The Joker became the first NBA player to record the following in a single post-season:
– 600 points
– 250 rebounds
– 150 assists
As of 2024, the 2023 Regular Season MVP signed a 5-year contract extension, with a record of $264 million—the largest contract in the NBA.
12. Over 3.3 million global viewers watched the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs on ESPN.
(ESPN Press Room)
The first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs on ESPN had an average of 3,346,000 viewers. The eight games were ESPN’s most-watched first-round playoffs since 2014, resulting in a 28% increase from 2021.
ESPN’s viewership record for the first round of the 2022 NBA post-season stands as the third most-viewed first-round in NBA history, trailing their coverage of the 2014 NBA playoffs first round.
13. ABC’s Warriors-Grizzlies Game 1 coverage of the 2022 NBA Western Conference Semifinals delivered over 7.7 million viewers.
(ESPN Press Room)
Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Western Conference Semifinals between the Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies delivered an average of 7,714,000 viewers on ABC. The game peaked with 10,195,000 viewers, making it the most-watched NBA Conference Semifinals game in 11 years.
The Golden State Warriors won against the Memphis Grizzlies in the Game 1 semifinals, leading to a 97% increase in ABC’s viewership compared to 2021.
14. Game 5 of the 2020 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers drew 5.7 million viewers on ABC.
(HoopsHype, NBA)
The 2020 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers delivered 8.89 million viewers on ABC. This viewership resulted in a 4.76% rating for ABC, with the Heat winning in Game 5.
Heat captain Jimmy Butler significantly contributed to the team’s win, making the viewers sit on their seat edges in the final 7:00 of the game. Butler dropped dimes, created key baskets, and made winning defensive stops.
The Miami Heat gained an advantage in the last two minutes and took over the game with a thrilling 111–108 scoreboard. The game was said to be one of the best games of the NBA Bubble.
Did You Know?
In the 2020 NBA “Bubble” Finals series, Butler made 46/50 free throws, marking a 92% high accuracy in the free-throw line. With this achievement, “Playoff Jimmy” is the third player in NBA Finals history to achieve the 90-on-50 mark.
Global Demographic of NBA Viewership in 2024: By Regions and Socials
Sports analysts credit the NBA for the global popularity of basketball. The league has given the world iconic basketball games and moments, such as the Dream Team, world-class winning plays, and intense sports rivalries.
Over half of NBA fans are from countries outside the US, accounting for most social media views. International NBA players have received more support from their respective countries, increasing league support.
Check out the facts and figures about the NBA viewership demographic by region and discover how diverse the NBA global demographic is in 2024.
15. China has a larger NBA fan base than the United States and Europe, with roughly half of the fans aged 35 to 54.
(S&P Market Intelligence)
While the NBA is a US sports event, basketball fans worldwide look forward to it yearly. The international fans have significantly different age distributions and viewership percentages compared to those in the US, which are close to a normal distribution.
- Asia: China has a large viewership rate in the 35-54-year-old range, accounting for 50%.
- Europe: 57% of the NBA fans in the UK are in the age bracket of 18-34.
16. More than 700 million views in the 2024 NBA Regular Season come from the league’s European social accounts.
(NBA Communications)
The 2024 NBA Regular Season is the most viewed season across social and digital platforms, surpassing 1 billion video views in Europe. 70% of the views come from the league’s accounts in Europe, where European players are among the 10 most-viewed.
- 3rd Placer: San Antonio Spurs Victor Wembanyama from France
with 1.3 billion views - 4th Placer: Dallas Mavericks Luka Dončić from Slovenia with 1.2 billion views
- 6th Placer: Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokić from Serbia with 618 million views
- 8th Placer: Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo from Greece with 558 million views
with 1.3 billion views
with 1.2 billion views
with 618 million views
with 558 million views17. The Philippines ranks second with the highest number of subscribers, with 63% showing interest in the game.
(GMA News Online, The Game, NBA)
The Philippines ranks second in the NBA global audience with a large fanbase. Of the 98% NBA-aware general population in the PH, 63% of the country’s population shows interest in the league.
The official NBA PH Facebook page has a 10% YoY, making it the largest regional FB page with over 6M likes. Here are the top 3 NBA teams with the biggest fanbases in the Philippines:
- Golden State Warriors
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Dallas Maverick
18. Germany has the most NBA League Pass subscribers on social media, experiencing 47% year over year.
(NBA PR, SP Global)
In a survey, 71% of Germans are strongly interested in the NBA. The remaining data shows that 25% frequently watch, and 5% are not interested in the league.
Among other European NBA League Pass subscribers, Germany has experienced a 47% year-over-year increase driven by the Orlando Magic German brothers—Franz and Moritz Wagners.
Germans fully support the two brothers who led Germany to its first FIBA World Cup Gold Medal in 2023.
Growth and Trends Behind Global NBA Viewership in 2024
Keeping up with the latest trends is critical in this digital age, especially among the diverse NBA audience. Marketing strategies that involve collaboration and engagement can boost the number of viewers.
Another thing to consider is the age distribution of the viewers, as audience preferences may vary. Most of the NBA’s audiences are teenagers and young adults, who are frequent social platform users.
This section discusses some transformative NBA trends that are helping the views grow.
19. The first-ever NBA vs. WNBA 3-Point Challenge delivers 5.4 million viewers—the most watched All-Star Saturday Night in 4 years.
(NBA, Basketball News)
The NBA 2024 ASG Saturday Night was the NBA’s most-watched ASG Saturday event in four years, acquiring 10 million views. Compared to the 2023 ASG, the viewership in 2024 marked a 54% increase across TNT, truTV, and B/R Sports on Max.
An average of 4.6 million viewers stay tuned to the game, 31% up from the 2023 average viewership. However, the event peaked at 5.4 million viewers during the 3-point sharpshooters’ face-off between the NBA’s Stephen Curry and the WNBA’s Sabrina Ionescu.
The first-ever NBA versus WNBA event concluded with Curry winning the 3-point shootout with 29 against Ionescu’s 26.
20. The NBA’s YouTube channel is the first professional sports league account to reach 12 billion lifetime video views.
(NBA, NBA YouTube)
With a strong global fanbase, the NBA’s YouTube channel is the first professional sports league to surpass 20 million subscribers. These subs generated 12 billion lifetime views on the platform, the first for any sports league YouTube account.
Here are some of the popular NBA YouTube videos:
- Most Viewed Shorts: Stephen Curry showing off his handles (7.7M views)
- Most Popular Video: A Heat fan throwing a $75,000 one-handed shot from half-court (52M views)
- Most Popular 2023-24 NBA Playoffs: Nuggets vs Timberwolves (2.4M views in 1 day)
21. Viewership of the 2024 NBA Regular Season in France has increased by 177% year-over-year, driven by interest in Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama.
(NBA Communications)
The viewership rating of the Spurs games in France has increased 177% year-over-year. France fully supports the Spurs’ French Rookie of the Year (2024), Victor Wembanyama, who joined the team in July 2023.
During the Spurs-Bucks face-off, Wemby’s dunk video posted on the NBA’s Instagram generated 88.8M views in just four days. Everything Wemby does on the court is deemed a must-see in the French community, resulting in:
- The dunk video has become the top 2 most-viewed play with 247M views and counting.
- Wemby is the 3rd most-viewed player, generating 1.3B views and counting.
22. The global fanbase makes up 70% of the followers on the NBA’s Instagram account.
(Dash Hudson, NBA)
As of May 18, 2024, the NBA has over 88.1M followers on Instagram, taking over the top 9 spot of the most followed brand. The NBA has a large global fan base, wherein 70% of the followers are from outside the US.
With 50% of the audience being teenagers to young adults, NBA IG leverages the reel feature. The reels are equivalent to YouTube shorts, where followers can specifically watch their favorite team and players, such as:
- Featured plays
- Behind-the-scenes footage
The Final Buzzer
From the elimination to the final round, the NBA has become the most anticipated sports event for die-hard fans and casual viewers. This North American professional basketball league boasts a dedicated global fan base, contributing heavily to its impressive viewership ratings.
The NBA continues to gain popularity while leveraging the digital age. An increasing number of international players are joining the league, bringing a fresh and valuable dynamic to their respective team
FAQs
Is viewership for the NBA up or down?
The 2023-24 NBA Regular Season viewership is fairly consistent, with games drawing an average of 1.6 million viewers from TNT, ABC, and ESPN.
Is the viewership of the NBA down?
In 2022, NBA viewership numbers were on the rise, having increased by 16% compared to 2021. This marked a steady year-on-year increase following the sudden drop in viewership amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
What is the lowest-valued NBA organization?
The New Orleans Pelicans are the lowest-valued franchise in the league, with a worth of $1.6 billion.
What city has the most NBA fans?
Unsurprisingly, Los Angeles, California, has the most basketball fans as of 2023, earning an overall score of 63.57 and ranking first for the NBA.
