The NBA’s regular season viewership numbers came in Wednesday, and they told a clear story. Interest surged across the board in Year 1 of the league’s new media rights era.
A combined 170 million viewers in the U.S. tuned in across ABC/ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, NBC/Peacock, and NBA TV during the regular season. That figure represents the league’s highest total in 24 years.
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The 86 percent jump from last season signals a massive shift in how fans engaged with the product.
The distribution model looked different this year. Prime Video joined the NBA’s media rights setup for the first time, while NBC and Peacock returned after a long absence. The change came through the league’s new 11-year media rights agreement, signed in 2024 and valued at more than $76 billion.
A NBA Peacock advertisement for the NBA All 2026 at The Grove.
The deal ensures games will be distributed across multiple platforms, including ABC/ESPN and NBA TV, alongside the newly added and returning broadcasters.
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The momentum also showed up in multiple areas. Games aired on ABC/ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, NBC/Peacock, and NBA TV delivered their highest average viewership in 13 years, marking a 35 percent jump from last season.
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A total of 57 broadcasts crossed the 2 million viewer mark, the most since the 2011-12 season. Fans spent over 920 million hours watching games, a 25 percent increase year over year.
Social platforms also produced 228 billion views, setting another record.
The NBA Cup group play viewership rose 90 percent, while the All-Star Game on NBC averaged 8.8 million viewers. That All-Star figure marked the best performance since 2011.
Attendance remained historically high over a three-season span, capping off a first year that delivered exactly what the league needed.