NBA Shoots, Scores: TV Numbers Up 86% Vs. 2024-25, Most In 24 Years
Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 03:49PM By Barry Janoff
April 15, 2026: Disney (ESPN/ABC), NBC and Amazon’s Prime Video paid more than $76 billion, about $6.9 billion per season, for new NBA deals that began this past season and are already seeing the rewards.
The NBA said today that 170 million people in the U.S. watched games across the league’s four primary broadcast platforms this year — also including NBA TV — an 86% rise 2024-25 and the league’s best in 24 years.
A total of 57 telecasts this season had an average of 2 million viewers, the most since 2011-12.
People watched NBA games for more than 920 million hours, up 25% over last season and also the most since 2011-12.
ESPN said it resisted its most‑watched NBA regular season on ABC and ESPN since the 2018‑19 season. Through 80 telecasts, the 2025‑26 NBA regular season averaged 1.9 million viewers, up 11% from last season (1.7M viewers).
ESPN also said it had its largest average NBA Christmas audience since 2018 across its platforms. The five-games on Dec. 25, averaged 5.5 million viewers, up four percent from 2024.
In its first season presenting the NBA in 24 years, NBC Sports said it “combined new approaches and technical innovations with Hall of Fame and award‑winning voices, along with a splash of nostalgia, to drive a 109% year-over-year increase in NBA regular‑season viewership.”
Led by Sunday Night Basketball and Coast 2 Coast Tuesday, during the 2025–26 regular season across NBC and Peacock – as well as Telemundo for select games – NBC Sports delivered NBA viewership milestones for marquee franchises Sunday Night Basketball and Coast 2 Coast Tuesday, as well as tentpole events such as the NBA All‑Star Game, NBA Tip‑Off, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The audience for the All-Star Game on NBC, averaging 8.8 million viewers, was the largest for the league’s midseason event since 2011.
“As we began the NBA’s return to NBC Sports for the first time in 24 years this fall, our focus was on elevating the viewing experience — leaning into the energy of the arenas, blending new and familiar voices, and introducing streaming innovations while honoring our legacy of NBA coverage,” NBC Sports president Rick Cordella aid via the network.
“These viewership results validate that approach and are a testament to the work of our incredible teams across NBC Sports and Peacock, along with the caliber of competition the NBA and its teams deliver night in and night out.”
The new alliance costs Walt Disney Co, platforms $2.6 billion per year.
NBC, which aired NBA games from 1990-2002, pays $2.5 billion per year, with games also streaming on Peacock.
Amazon’s Prime Video pays an estimated $1.8 billion per year.
People also attended games in strong numbers. The NBA said a new league record was set for total attendance across a three-season span (2023-24 to 2025-26), exceeding 22.18 million fans in total attendance in team arenas for the third time ever.
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