Overview
- The Thunder–Rockets opener averaged about 5.9 million viewers and peaked at 7.1 million during double overtime, while Warriors–Lakers averaged 5.1 million from 11:02 p.m. to 12:42 a.m. ET.
- Peacock and NBC Sports Digital delivered an average-minute streaming audience of 1.0 million, roughly 18% of the total, marking NBC Sports’ largest non-NFL, non-Olympics simulstream.
- The 5.61 million cross-platform average was up about 87% versus last year’s TNT opening-night doubleheader, though direct comparisons are complicated by Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel methodology and added out-of-home viewing.
- NBC won Tuesday primetime among adults 18–49 as the league began its new 11-year national rights era that places marquee windows on NBC/Peacock alongside ESPN/ABC and Prime Video.
- Opening week momentum carried into Wednesday as ESPN’s first doubleheader averaged 2.33 million viewers, up 44% from last year under the prior measurement framework.