NBC Sports set NBA Tip-Off viewership records on Tuesday night. LeBron James’ 76ers debut against the Knicks averaged 7.7 million viewers, the most-watched Tip-Off primetime game ever.
What We Know: The 76ers-Knicks game rose 32% from last year’s early primetime game, Rockets-Thunder, which drew 5.9 million. It also topped the previous record of 7.3 million, set by Heat-Celtics in 2010. Meanwhile, the full primetime doubleheader averaged 6.4 million viewers, up 14% from last year’s 5.6 million. Additionally, the first-ever Tip-Off tripleheader on one network averaged 5.1 million viewers. Viewership peaked at 9.1 million from 9:45 to 10 p.m. ET. That peak came as the 76ers closed out a 106-100 win at Madison Square Garden. It also stands as an NBA Tip-Off record.
What’s At Stake: The combination of LeBron James’ first game for Philadelphia and the New York Knicks championship celebration proved to be a ratings winner. The league was hopeful to have this level of matchup to open the season, hence why Commissioner Adam Silver pushed publicly for James to select a new team ahead of the league’s schedule release this summer. Whether the momentum will continue deep into the NBA regular season is yet to be seen.
What Remains Unclear: However, not every number climbed. The Thunder-Spurs nightcap averaged 4.8 million viewers, trailing last year’s Warriors-Lakers game at 5.1 million. Still, it ranks as the second most-watched late primetime Tip-Off game ever. Whether NBC can sustain this momentum beyond opening night remains an open question.
What It Means: For NBC Sports, the early returns support its investment in the NBA. Moreover, daytime Celtics-Pistons drew 2.5 million viewers, a weekday afternoon regular-season record, excluding holiday games. Next, Warriors-Nuggets opens Peacock NBA Monday on Oct. 26. Then, Coast 2 Coast Tuesday debuts Oct. 27 with Pistons-Knicks and Trail Blazers-Lakers.
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