NBA playoffs ratings are not actually the highest in 33 years, as reported

That said, we caution those getting too excited on the message boards. While the numbers the NBA is promoting are technically accurate, they are also misleading.

For one, the year-over-year comparisons are invalid. The distribution has changed. This year, games air on ABC, NBC, ESPN and Prime Video. Previously, they aired on TNT, ESPN and ABC. The difference between games on a cable channel like TNT and those on a broadcast network like NBC is significant.

Another factor is the measurement system itself.

The 2026 postseason is the first to be fully measured under Nielsen's Big Data + Panel metric, introduced last September. Early readings suggest the new methodology has increased live sports viewership by about 8%.

Taken together, it is entirely possible that fewer Americans are watching the playoffs this season than last. The claim that this is the most-viewed first round in 33 years is completely false.

Still, the majority of sports outlets have simply parroted the NBA's press release without the added context. It's unclear if these outlets are unaware of the deception or are simply afraid to upset the league.

There is a reason the NBA won't credential the author of this article, but approves random fanboy bloggers to cover games.

However, no league tries harder to spin its popularity than the NBA. And no league has more defenders of its declines than the NBA, with commentators like Simmons and Ryen Russillo as dedicated to the cause as the league's own in-house communication division.

No one said the NBA is "dying." But the league is less popular now than at any point in the past 25 years - and the latest spin about first-round ratings doesn't change that.