The NBA draft is a popular yearly event that radically changed this time around, and it apparently paid dividends for the league.
Instead of cramming the two lengthy rounds into one long affair, the NBA focused the opening night on just the first round, and fans tuned in in droves.
The old format would have seen the selections end in the early morning hours of Thursday when many fans would be sound asleep.
Front Office Sports reported the good news for the NBA that the league draft enjoyed a healthy 18% increase in viewership across ABC and ESPN.
The annual spectacle averaged 4.4 million viewers despite lacking a clear number one and a lineup of potential superstars.
The NBA Draft averaged 4.4 million viewers across ABC and ESPN—an 18% increase from the 2023 draft.
Despite a lack of star power, this year’s draft turned in strong viewership, @Alex__Schiffer writes ⬇️
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 29, 2024
The increase in viewers came along with the lack of any player comparable to 2023’s drafting of Victor Wembanyama at number one by the San Antonio Spurs.
Another Frenchman, Zaccharie Risacher, was plucked with the first choice by the Atlanta Hawks, but he did not garner the dramatic attention that Wemby drew last year.
Still, viewers came early and stayed for the draft’s first round, a healthy sign for the league.
The NBA would love nothing more than for its selection process to take on the drama and fanfare of the NFL draft, and this year’s results proved to be a step in that direction.
It showed that the number of hardcore NBA fans is apparently increasing, and they turned out in droves Wednesday night to see the future of the league walk across the stage.
