NBA Opening Night Averages 3.3 Million Viewers and 148 Million Social Media Views, Becomes Most Watched in 5 years

The 2022-23 NBA season tip-off doubleheader on TNT was the most-watched opening night in the last 5-years.

The 76th season of the NBA kicked off with popular teams like the Warriors, Lakers, Celtics, and Sixers headlining the opening night. It was no surprise to see Commissioner Adam Silver and co tend to big names like LeBron James and Stephen Curry to garner eyeballs.

And didn’t it do wonders, as the opening night viewership skyrocketed, breaking records. Another positive sign for the NBA, which made an astounding $10 billion in revenue last season amid dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and its repercussions.

A lot of the credit for this goes to Commissioner Silver’s vision, whether it be hosting preseason games across international borders or expanding viewership via league pass. The most recent example of this being the trips to Japan and Abu Dhabi.

Also read: NBA Commissioner Salary: What is Adam Silver’s Net Worth

According to the NBA PR, the recent opening night doubleheader generated the highest rating in the last 5-years across all platforms.

NBA delivers most-watched opening night in last 5-years.

Stephen Curry and LeBron James continue to be big draws, having a huge global fan following, with superstars like Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid hoping to follow suit. Airing on TNT, the opening night double-header averaged 3.3 million viewers, which was a 17% jump from 2021.

NBA social media and app generated over 148 million video views, a 200% jump from 2021. Though predominantly an American league, the recent success of overseas players like Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Donic has opened more doors.

A breakdown of the opening night viewership.

According to Front Office Sports,

• That TNT telecast averaged 2.98 million viewers, up 36% from last year, according to Sports Media Watch.
• 76ers vs. Celtics was also the most-watched Opening Night early game since Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers averaged 5.6 million viewers in 2017.
• Lakers-Warriors was the most-viewed program on TV last night among key demographics.
• Video views on NBA app were up 533%. With 71.7 million followers, the NBA’s Instagram account generated the most video views of any account on the social media platform.

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