NBA viewership soars 86% in 2025-26 season with new TV deals driving record-breaking numbers
Feb 15, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; NBC Peacock analysts Reggie Miller (left) and Jamal Crawford (center) and play-by-play announcer Noah Eagle watch during the 75th NBA All Star Game at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The NBA‘s gamble on its massive new television contracts has paid off spectacularly. The league announced Wednesday that the 2025-26 regular season attracted 170 million viewers across its four primary broadcast platforms, representing an 86% surge from the previous season and the best numbers in 24 years.
The impressive viewership figures validate the NBA’s decision to sign an 11-year, $76 billion-plus media rights deal in 2024. Prime Video joined the NBA’s television family for the first time this season, while NBC/Peacock made their triumphant return after a generation-long absence.
Record-breaking engagement across all platforms
The numbers tell a compelling story of basketball’s growing popularity. NBA games averaged 1.78 million viewers across the main platforms, the highest figure in seven years. When including NBA TV, average viewership reached its peak in 13 years with a 35% year-over-year increase.
A total of 57 telecasts reached at least 2 million viewers, the most since the 2011-12 season, while 19 broadcasts averaged over 3 million viewers. Fans consumed more than 920 million hours of NBA content, up 25% from last season and the most since 2011-12.
The league’s digital presence also flourished, generating a record 228 billion views on social media channels, representing a 13% increase over the previous season. The new « Tap to Watch » feature drove nearly 20 million live game streams, with nationally televised games accounting for 75% of that engagement.
Special events drive massive audiences
Several marquee events contributed to the viewership boom. The NBA Cup group play games saw 90% growth, while the championship final between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on Amazon Prime Video averaged 3.07 million viewers. ESPN‘s Christmas Day slate averaged 5.5 million viewers, reaching 47.2 million fans total.
The All-Star Game on NBC delivered the largest audience since 2011, averaging 8.8 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo. More than 46 million Americans watched All-Star weekend programming, triple the previous season’s numbers.
Arena attendance also reached historic levels, with the past three seasons setting a new league record for total attendance across any three-season span, exceeding 22.18 million fans. The combination of television success and in-person engagement demonstrates the NBA’s unprecedented popularity across all consumption methods.
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