The number of viewers in the United States for the 2022 National Basketball Association (NBA) finals increased by 22% year on year (YoY), averaging 12.4 million.
According to Nielsen data, the series was by far the most-watched NBA finals in three years.
The Golden State Warriors‘ game six triumph on June 16 drew an estimate of 13.99 million viewers on Disney-backed commercial network ABC, with a peak of 16.82 million viewers. Game six viewer numbers were 75% greater than its closest broadcast competition.
The 2022 NBA finals also had the greatest audience share since 2017. On game nights, one out of every five viewers was watching the NBA finals on ABC.
Furthermore, the six NBA finals game telecasts on ABC are now the top six most-watched programmes on television in June 2022. The statistics for this year remained below pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, the finals drew 15.14 million viewers on average.
Last year, ABC averaged 12.52 million viewers for the Milwaukee Bucks‘ series-clinching game six win over the Phoenix Suns on July 20, a 51% uptick over the 2020 decider. Despite the boost, ABC had the fourth-lowest ratings for an NBA finals game since 1998.
The NBA also disclosed that the overall average for the second round of the playoffs on UK pay-TV network Sky increased by 58% year on year, while average viewership for NBA Sunday games increased by 42%.
The game between Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics on April 17, which aired on Sky Sports Arena, was the most-watched NBA playoff game in the UK since April 2019.
During the regular season, users of the NBA’s out-of-market League Pass streaming service increased by 3% year on year.
European social media platforms produced 226 million viewers, a 23% increase year on year. Steph Curry’s jersey was the best-selling item in Europe at the NBA’s official store.