The NBAs ballyhooed return to NBC brought in a sizable audience the most for the leagues season opener in 15 years.

A doubleheader on Tuesday averaged 5.6 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, based on Nielsens big data plus panel ratings and internal streaming figures. That figure is inclusive of both games, with the later contest between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors stretching well past midnight ET.

The 5.6 million cross-platform viewers are the most for the NBAs season tipoff since 2010 (excluding the 2011 season, which began on Christmas Day after an owner lockout), which averaged 5.7 million viewers on TNT and featured LeBron James first game with the Miami Heat. Last years tipoff doubleheader averaged 2.95 million viewers on TNT (under a different Nielsen measurement system that didnt include the big data component). Tuesdays opening game between the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets averaged 5.9 million cross-platform viewers. It peaked with 7.1 million viewers from 10:45-11 p.m. ET as the game went into double overtime.

The Lakers-Warriors game drew 5.1 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, measured from when it was joined in progress at 11:02 p.m. ET through 12:42 a.m.

Peacocks share of the full audience for the night was 1 million viewers, a little under 18 percent of the total. NBC drew 4.6 million for the doubleheader.

The NBAs return to NBC is part of an 11-year, $76 billion rights package spread across ESPN/ABC, NBC/Peacock and Amazons Prime Video. NBC will air primetime games on Tuesdays throughout the season, and Sundays after its NFL commitments end, and Peacock will have streaming-exclusive games on Monday nights.

Outside of the playoffs and the leagues Christmas showcase games, the NBA hasnt had a very big primetime footprint on network TV in recent years. ABC has broadcast a slate of Saturday night games for several seasons, typically between January and March. Last season, ABC aired eight contests (including the final of the in-season NBA Cup tournament in December) that averaged about 2.8 million viewers. All nationally televised NBA games on ABC, ESPN and TNT averaged 1.53 million viewers in 2024-25.