ESPN’s NBA Opening Wednesday Averages 2.5 Million Viewers

ESPN’s first Wednesday doubleheader of the 2026–27 NBA season averaged 2.5 million viewers, the network reported Friday. The October 21 broadcasts gave ESPN its second-largest audience for an NBA opening Wednesday, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel.

The two-game average rose 7% from the comparable slate last season. ESPN’s original October 2025 report put that opening-Wednesday doubleheader at 2.33 million viewers, also measured by Nielsen Big Data + Panel.

Minnesota’s victory over Miami averaged 2.52 million viewers. The broadcast reached a quarter-hour high of 2.81 million between 9:45 and 10 p.m. ET. The Lakers’ win over Golden State averaged 2.46 million viewers and peaked at 2.96 million during the 11 p.m. ET quarter-hour.

The games opened ESPN’s regular-season coverage with Minnesota at Miami followed by Golden State at Los Angeles. The network announced the audience figures on October 23, two days after the broadcasts.

The 2.5 million figure is the average for ESPN’s two-game slate. Individual game averages and quarter-hour peaks measure different things. TSP’s opening-night NBC/Peacock report covers a separate broadcaster and air date.