Based on Nielsen fast-nationals, the NBA Draft on Thursday attracted an average of 3.74 million viewers across ESPN and ABC. This represents a substantial 23% increase compared to the previous year and establishes a new record for the event, surpassing the previous high set in 2015 by a slight margin (3.743 million viewers versus 3.738 million). Notably, prior to 2021, the draft had been exclusively aired on cable networks.
During the first round, viewership averaged 4.93 million viewers, experiencing a significant 24% surge. The pinnacle of viewership occurred from 8-8:15 PM ET when Wembanyama was selected as the first overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs, attracting a peak audience of 6.09 million viewers.
For the second round, which was exclusively broadcasted on ESPN, an average of 1.19 million viewers tuned in, reflecting a respectable 6% increase. Overall, the 2023 NBA Draft emerged as the most-watched program of the night across television platforms and claimed the top spot among all key demographics.
