ESPN attained a viewership milestone in its presentation of an interconference tilt between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, garnering an average of 4.61 million viewers for the contest on ABC, according to data from Nielsen Media Research. The game finished as the most-watched regular-season NBA contest excluding Christmas games since 2018. In addition, the NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC matchup peaked with 5.34 million viewers from 9:15 to 9:29 p.m. EST, and it was available to view on ESPN+ and Disney+ as well.
In analyzing the comparable game window from the previous year, the broadcast achieved a 92% year-over-year rise in average viewership. Moreover, the game was also the most-watched program in prime time television on Saturday, which followed a Friday night doubleheader of NBA games on ESPN that featured various contending Western Conference teams.
The lead ESPN NBA broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Mike Breen, analysts Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson, and reporter Lisa Salters were on the call for the game, which ended in a 111-101 victory for the Celtics. Jefferson was recently added to this lead broadcast team and will be calling the NBA Finals at the conclusion of the season. The NBA Countdown studio program featured host Malika Andrews with analysts Stephen A. Smith, Bob Myers and Kendrick Perkins, along with senior NBA insider Shams Charania. Smith recently inked a new five-year contract extension with ESPN that will reportedly lead to him no longer being a regular on the show.
The Walt Disney Company will officially commence a new 11-year media rights contract with the NBA starting next season, which keeps the NBA Finals on ABC and also includes distribution of up to 80 regular-season NBA games per year. The media conglomerate is estimated to be paying $2.62 billion per annum for this package, indicative of an 87% increase from the reported yearly rights fee of $1.4 billion in the existing deal. ESPN will also be airing Inside the NBA under a sublicensing agreement with TNT Sports beginning next season surrounding marquee games and league events.
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