ESPN’s NBA Opening Week averaged 2.3M viewers across four games, up 6% from last year, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel. The audience was ESPN networks’ largest Opening Week audience since 2014.
ESPN’s Opening Thursday doubleheader averaged 2.2M viewers, up 5% from last year. The audience was the largest Opening Thursday audience across all networks since 2018.
The Philadelphia 76ers’ victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers averaged 2.5M viewers, up 26% from last year’s comparable game. It was the largest Opening Thursday audience since 2018 and the fourth-largest Opening Thursday audience since 2000. The matchup was also the most-viewed early window game on Thursday of Opening Week since 2014. The game peaked with 3.6M viewers during the 9:45 p.m. quarter-hour.
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s victory over the Denver Nuggets averaged 1.8M viewers, peaking with 2.4M viewers during the 9:55 p.m. quarter-hour.
As previously announced, Wednesday’s doubleheader ranked as ESPN’s second most-viewed Opening Wednesday ever.
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