ESPN’s NBA Summer League Coverage Delivers Slam Dunk Ratings

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ESPN’s MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2017 telecasts posted big ratings gains from the year prior, according to Nielsen.

ESPN averaged 783,000 viewers for its five-game telecasts, up 112% from the same period last year,  according to Nielsen. In addition, the network drew a record 1.1 million viewers for its July 8 Los Angeles Lakers-Boston Celtics game featuring Lorenzo Ball and Jayson Tatum, the players chosen 2nd and 3rd in this year’s NBA draft, respectively.

Overall,ESPNand ESPN2averaged 437,000 viewers for its 25 combined NBA Summer League games, up 51% from 290,000 viewers across 23 games in 2016, according to Nielsen.

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.