NBA Playoff Opening Weekend Breaks Viewership Records

Amid the criticism the NBA faced at the beginning of the season, the association set viewership records for the opening weekend of the playoffs. According to Reuters, the eight-game lineup averaged 4.4 million viewers across ESPN and TNT, a 17% increase from last year. The league office announced it was the most-watched opening weekend in 25 years. Three games were shown on ESPN and another three on ABC; those six games averaged 4.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched opening playoff weekend in the network's history.

The most-watched game from the weekend was the defending champion Boston Celtics' Game 1 home opener against the Orlando Magic on Easter Sunday. It was the second-most-watched Game 1 in ABC history, averaging 6.69 million viewers. The contest reached a peak of 8 million viewers. The Celtics were victorious 103-86.

Additionally, ESPN's showing of Game 1 on Saturday between the New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons generated just over 4 million viewers. The Knicks took home the first-round dub 123-112, as it became the second-most-watched round one NBA playoff game in ESPN history.

Behind the Celtics-Magic game, the second most watched game of the weekend was the Los Angeles Lakers versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. The young Timberwolves squad made a statement in Game 1 against the Lakers, defeating them 117-95, and generated an average of 5 million views in the late primetime viewing window on Saturday night.

An important thing to remember is that, despite the ratings struggles the NBA has endured, they do not accurately represent the health of the NBA as a business. The league recently cemented a 76 billion dollar media rights deal that includes media Partners such as NBC and Amazon Prime. As the NBA expands its presence into streaming with plans to air a first-round game next season on Prime, the league aims to increase its audience and business footprint.

-D.K.