NBA Tip-Off Soars: NBC Draws 5.6M Viewers, Up 87%

The recent NBA Tip-Off marked a significant milestone for basketball viewership, with NBC’s broadcast of the opening night games attracting an impressive 5.6 million average viewers. This substantial audience not only represents a remarkable 87% increase over the previous year’s tip-off but also stands as the largest audience for the season opener in more than a decade. The return of professional basketball to NBC’s airwaves, after an absence since 2002, clearly resonated with fans, signaling strong engagement for the league’s new season.

A Decade of Dominance: Unpacking the Viewership Surge

The 2025 NBA Tip-Off on NBC delivered an average of 5.6 million viewers across its doubleheader broadcast. This figure, derived from linear measurements by Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics, marks a dramatic improvement compared to last year’s tip-off, which garnered 3 million viewers on TNT. The 87% year-over-year growth underscores a renewed interest and strong draw for the league’s season commencement on its new broadcasting home.

This viewership also represents the largest audience for an NBA season-opening doubleheader in over ten years. No season opener has reached such heights since 2012, and if the unusual Christmas Day tip-off of 2011 is excluded, one would have to look back to 2010 to find a comparable audience. The 2010 games featured LeBron James’ highly anticipated debut with the Miami Heat, making the current telecast’s proximity to that record particularly notable and a testament to the league’s enduring appeal.

Game-by-Game Breakdown and Peak Moments

The total of 5.6 million viewers represents the average number of individuals watching the broadcast at any given moment. Breaking down the doubleheader, viewership peaked at 7.1 million viewers between 10:45 and 11 p.m. ET, coinciding with the intense double-overtime finish where the Oklahoma City Thunder narrowly defeated the Houston Rockets by a single point.

The Thunder-Rockets game, which averaged 5.9 million viewers overall, undoubtedly benefited from the narrative surrounding Kevin Durant’s debut as a Houston Rockets player, facing off against his former team where he began his career. The second game of the doubleheader, featuring the Golden State Warriors against the Los Angeles Lakers, also drew a significant audience, averaging 5.1 million viewers overall. These individual game performances highlight the power of compelling storylines and competitive matchups in capturing a large audience.

Digital Reach and the Rise of Simulcasting

Beyond traditional television broadcasts, the NBA Tip-Off also demonstrated a significant impact in the digital realm. NBC Sports achieved its largest non-NFL and non-Olympics simulstream audience ever for the doubleheader. This was accomplished through a combined average minute audience of 1 million viewers across both Peacock and NBC Sports Digital platforms. This digital success indicates the evolving consumption habits of sports fans and the importance of multi-platform availability in maximizing reach and engagement for major sporting events.

Conclusion

The impressive viewership numbers for the NBA Tip-Off on NBC underscore a vibrant start to the new season and signal a strong return for the league to a major broadcast network. The 5.6 million average viewers, an 87% increase from the prior year and the largest audience in over a decade, reflect not only the league’s enduring popularity but also the effectiveness of its broadcasting strategy. With compelling matchups, star power, and robust digital integration, the NBA appears poised for a highly watched and engaging season, setting a promising precedent for future broadcasts.