Despite basketball pundits denouncing the NBA All-Star Game, viewers watched in a way they do no other all-star exhibition. The broadcast reached 11.6 million unique viewers across TNT, TBS, truTV, and B/R Sports on Max, up 20 percent vs. last year. Its average of 5.5 million viewers was up 14 percent from 2023’s event.
Despite this positive number, it was still the second-most-watched all-star game so far this year as far as average viewership is concerned. The NFL’s Pro Bowl Games averaged 5.79 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, Disney XD, and ESPN Deportes, which was a rough number for the NFL’s exhibition. However, that marks the lone black spot on an otherwise pristine viewership year for the NFL, which has posted victory after victory, culminating in the most-watched telecast ever for Super Bowl LVIII.
All-star exhibitions have been in the crosshairs of sports media for years, none more than the NBA’s. This year, many established NBA media members like Bob Ryan and David Aldridge were intensely critical of the effort shown in the game. Despite the media response, viewers are still tuning in to even lackadaisical sports while football is gone.
