The NBA recorded a strong viewership performance during a rare unopposed primetime window, as its “Sunday Night Basketball†package benefited from limited competition during the NCAA tournament’s Elite Eight weekend.
The matchup between the New York Knicks and the Oklahoma City Thunder averaged a combined 3.4 million viewers across Nielsen and Adobe Analytics, marking the league’s largest audience during March Madness in a decade. The last comparable peak came in 2016 with a game featuring the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs.
The timing was a key factor. With no competing primetime NCAA games on Elite Eight Sunday, the NBA effectively operated in an isolated national window—an opportunity created by its new media rights structure. Traditionally, NBA broadcasts are minimized during the NCAA tournament due to scheduling conflicts and audience fragmentation.
The Thunder-Knicks broadcast was the most-watched non-March Madness sporting event of the week, surpassing Major League Baseball’s Opening Week games, including a Netflix-exclusive season opener. It also represents the highest audience for an NBA game this season outside of marquee matchups such as Boston Celtics vs. the Los Angeles Lakers.
The second game in the “Sunday Night Basketball†doubleheader, featuring the Golden State Warriors against the Denver Nuggets, drew approximately 3.0 million viewers combined.
Viewership patterns suggest the NBA is increasingly able to leverage strategic scheduling under its new broadcast agreements, particularly during windows where competing live sports are limited. This includes Elite Eight Sunday and other holiday-adjacent time slots that typically boost overall television consumption.
Upcoming games could see similar gains. With another unopposed Sunday night window ahead and the women’s national championship scheduled earlier in the day, the league remains positioned to capture a strong national audience. Matchups involving high-profile players such as Stephen Curry and Luka DonÄić could further influence viewership performance, depending on availability and scheduling.