Most-watched NBA on ESPN Thanksgiving Eve in six years

Audience for inaugural tripleheader up 54 percent from last year's doubleheader

ESPN generated its most-watched NBA Thanksgiving Eve audience in six years, since 2019, on Wednesday, November 26. The inaugural tripleheader averaged 2,099,000 viewers, up 54 percent from last year's Thanksgiving Eve doubleheader, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel.

ESPN's exclusive coverage of the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game averaged 2,433,000 viewers and peaked with 2,921,000 viewers at 10:15 p.m. ET. It was up 83 percent from last year's comparable game.

In the nightcap, the Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors game averaged 2,031,000 viewers on ESPN, up 45 percent from the 2024 game in the same window. The audience peaked with 2,448,000 viewers at 10:30 p.m.

ESPN's tripleheader began with the Boston Celtics defeating the Detroit Pistons, which averaged 1,812,000 viewers for the 5 p.m. start. The audience peaked with 3,024,000 viewers at 7:45 p.m.

Through Thanksgiving, NBA games on ESPN are averaging 1,681,000 viewers, up 30 percent from the same period last season.

For more via ESPNFrontRow.com: Inside ESPN's premier NBA tripleheader on Thanksgiving Eve.

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