The NBA’s new All-Star Game format, at least on paper, was a big success.
About 8.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the All-Star Game this past weekend, NBC announced Monday afternoon. While that’s not close to a record, it made it the most-watched All-Star Game since 2011.
Advertisement
Viewership peaked at about 9.8 million viewers Sunday during the closing minutes of the third game under the new format, when the Stripes team beat the World team to secure a spot in the championship. The Stars team then beat the Stripes to win the tournament at the Intuit Dome in Southern California.
Viewership for this year’s All-Star Game was the best in recent years by far. Only about 4.7 million people tuned in last year, meaning this year’s event came close to doubling last year’s audience. The game hasn’t had more than 6 million viewers since 2022.
By comparison, the NFL’s Pro Bowl (a flag football game) drew about 2 million viewers earlier this year on ESPN. The MLB All-Star Game drew about 7.2 million viewers last summer on Fox.
Advertisement
After years of complaints and issues keeping the All-Star Game interesting and competitive, the NBA switched to a USA-vs.-World format this season. There were two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players who competed in a round-robin tournament. While the title game was a blowout, all three of the early games were very close and entertaining. By all accounts, the switch was a big success for the league.
While the format undoubtedly helped out, the Winter Olympics also played a part. NBC announced that its coverage of the Milan Cortina Olympics averaged about 26.6 million viewers for the live afternoon window and its “Primetime in Milan” coverage Sunday, which occurred before and after the All-Star Game. The Games are averaging about 24.5 million viewers each day.