Sports Media Watch is indeed reporting that of the first ten matches broadcast in 2022 on ESPN and TNT, eight achieved better audiences than similar posters from the previous year. In detail, seven of these eight matches have achieved an increase of more than 10% compared to the 2020/21 season.
These are, in chronological order, the Warriors – Mavericks of January 5 on ESPN (1.69 million viewers, increase of 78%), the Californian duel Clippers – Suns of January 6 (TNT, 1.16M, +17% ) and the buzzer victory of the Knicks against the Celtics on the same day (TNT, 1.28M, +13%), the Bucks – Nets (ESPN, 1.50M, +28%) and Hawks – Lakers on January 7 (ESPN , 1.77M, +11%), and finally the Nets – Bulls last Wednesday (ESPN, 1.56M, +58%) and the Bucks – Warriors the next day (TNT, 1.41M, +34%).
Moreover, it is interesting to note that with the exception of the Clippers-Suns and the Hawks-Lakers, all the posters broadcast on ESPN and TNT in 2022 beat the audiences of the 2019/20 season, therefore before it not be interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. A very good indication for Adam Silver and the leaders of the league.
At the same time, NBA TV also benefited from these strong audience increases since the channel achieved its best regular season audience in six years (844,000 viewers), on the occasion of Klay Thompson’s return to competition against the Cavaliers. , last Sunday.
