ESPN’s NBA playoff broadcasts are seeing a surge in TV ratings early in the postseason.
After the second weekend, 11 games on ESPN and ABC averaged 4.45 million viewers, a 13% increase from last year, per Nielsen data. The standout was Sunday’s Game 4 in the Lakers-Timberwolves series, with 7.34 million viewers watching Minnesota’s 116-113 win on ABC, putting them one victory from eliminating the Lakers and potentially ending hopes for a high-ratings Lakers-Warriors second-round matchup. Game 5 of Lakers-Timberwolves and Warriors-Rockets, where Golden State leads 3-1, will air Wednesday on TNT and truTV.
This follows a historic opening weekend, the most-watched in 25 years, with eight games averaging 4.4 million viewers across ESPN and TNT, up 17% from 2024.
The playoff boost contrasts with a 2% drop in regular-season viewership to 1.53 million across ABC, ESPN, and TNT. As the NBA transitions to new 11-year, $77 billion media deals with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon, TNT’s NBA coverage will conclude with the Eastern Conference finals.
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