NBA Ratings Update: 14 Percent Increase on ESPN, 11 Percent on ABC

Audience Growth Across Key Demos and Digital Platforms

Through 36 games, ESPN is seeing a 14 percent ratings increase for its NBA coverage this season (Christmas-to-date), averaging a 1.6 rating compared to a 1.4 last season. ESPN's viewership is up six percent (1,978,000 vs. 1,863,000) and household impressions are up 10 percent (1,539,000 vs. 1,399,000), according to Nielsen.

Additionally, ABC's NBA broadcasts are averaging a 3.9 rating through eight games, an 11 percent increase, compared to a 3.5 last season. ABC's viewership is up nine percent (6,638,000 vs. 6,091,000) and household impressions are up 10 percent (4,509,000 vs. 4,109,000).

Both ABC & ESPN are experiencing ratings increases across all key demos. ABC: up 23 percent in men 18-34 (3.8 vs. 3.1), 16 percent in men 18-49 (3.7 vs. 3.2), and 16 percent in men 25-54 (3.7 vs. 3.2). ESPN: up 13 percent in men 18-34 (1.8 vs. 1.6), seven percent in men 18-49 (1.5 vs. 1.4), and eight percent in men 25-54 (1.4 vs. 1.3).

Additional Season Highlights

· ABC's broadcast of the Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers (March 4) averaged 7, 037,000 viewers - the network's largest audience for a non-Christmas Day regular-season game ever;

· ESPN's telecast of the 2012 Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game (Feb. 24) posted a 1.8 rating, the highest ever for the event;

· ESPN's Christmas Night telecast of the Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors delivered a 2.3 rating to become ESPN's highest-rated Christmas game ever in primetime.

ESPN Digital

· Through the most recent research update (Feb. 26), ESPN.com's NBA section logged 1.8 million average daily unique visitors, an increase of 34 percent compared to the same time period in 2010-2011. The Fantasy Basketball section also averaged 469,000 daily unique visitors, an increase of 223 percent;

· ESPN's mobile Web NBA section has drawn an average minute audience of 9,000 visitors, an increase of 105 percent. It has also averaged 1.4 million daily unique visitors and 13.1 million minutes per day, up 78 percent and 105 percent, respectively.

ABC Sunday Showcase: Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers March 11

The NBA on ABC continues this Sunday, March 11, when the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant host the Boston Celtics and Rajon Rondo at 3:30 p.m. ET. ABC's coverage will begin at 3 p.m. with Kia NBA Countdown.