TV Ratings: NBA Playoffs Off To A Great Start

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced at the CAA World Congress of Sports in Nashville that television ratings for the opening weekend of the 2025 NBA playoffs were the highest in approximately 25 years, describing the numbers as “fantastic.” 

The strong viewership, reported across multiple outlets including ESPN, AP News, and Yahoo Sports, marks a significant rebound for the league after a season challenged by competing media events and declining regular-season ratings. 

Adam Silver

Viewership Numbers: The NBA reported that the eight opening weekend playoff games—four on Saturday, April 19, and four on Sunday, April 20, 2025—averaged 4.4 million viewers, a 17% increase over the previous season’s opening weekend and the highest average in 25 years, dating back to around 2000.ESPN, a key broadcast partner, noted that the weekend was the most-watched ever on its platforms, with Sunday’s Boston-Orlando game on ABC averaging nearly 6.7 million viewers and peaking at just over 8 million.

The NBA acknowledged a slow start to the 2024–25 regular season, attributing lower ratings to competition from a World Series featuring major markets (New York and Los Angeles) and heightened attention on the U.S. presidential election. However, viewership improved, with Silver noting in late March 2025 that ratings were down only about 2% year-over-year entering the regular season’s final weeks. The playoff surge reflects renewed fan engagement, possibly driven by competitive matchups and star players.

Silver emphasized the NBA’s digital strategy, noting in Winnipeg Free Press that moving to a “digital world” allows the league to reach fans through alternative channels, likening it to an enhanced “ManningCast” for NFL games. The strong ESPN platform performance, including streaming, underscores this shift, appealing to younger audiences who favor on-demand viewing.