How Many People Watch the NBA?

The answer may surprise you.

How Many People Watch the NBA?

The answer may surprise you. The NBA is one of the most popular sports leagues in the world, with millions of fans tuning in to watch the action every year. But just how many people actually watch the NBA?

NBA’s global popularity

It’s no secret that the NBA is one of the most popular sports leagues in the world. But just how popular is it? Some might be surprised to learn that, according to a recent study, the NBA is actually the second most popular sport in the world behind only football (soccer).

The study, which was conducted by Nielsen, found that the NBA has a global following of 1.1 billion people. That’s an impressive number, but it’s not as high as some might have expected. Still, it’s clear that the NBA is one of the most popular sports leagues in the world and its popularity shows no signs of waning anytime soon.

How many people watch the NBA?

The NBA is one of the most popular professional sports leagues in the world. According to a recent survey, an estimated 26 million people in the United States alone watch the NBA. That number is only expected to grow in the coming years. So, how many people actually watch the NBA?

In the United States

About 26 million people watched the NBA in the United States during the 2016-2017 season, according to Nielsen. That’s about 8 percent of the population.

Outside of the United States

It’s easy to forget that the NBA is a global game. In fact, nearly 25% of NBA players were born outside of the United States. The game is popular all over the world, but the vast majority of fans are located in the United States. Here are some numbers to give you a sense of how popular the NBA is globally.

In China, an estimated 300 million people watch the NBA. That’s more than twice the population of the United States! The NBA has been available in China since 1987, and they have been working hard to grow their fan base there. In 2004, the NBA became the first U.S. professional sports league to have offices in China.

The NBA is also popular in India, where an estimated 70 million people watch the league. That’s more than 10% of India’s population! The NBA has been working hard to grow their fan base in India as well. In 2017, they launched “NBA Jam”, a television show that airs on Sony SIX, a popular sports channel in India.

Here are some other countries where the NBA is popular:

-Canada: An estimated 6 million people watch the NBA in Canada.
-Australia: An estimated 4 million people watch the NBA in Australia.
-Japan: An estimated 3 million people watch the NBA in Japan.

The NBA’s most popular players

The NBA is a billion dollar industry and one of the most popular sports leagues in the world. But how many people actually watch the NBA? And who are the most popular NBA players? Let’s take a look.

In the United States

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the men’s professional basketball league in North America, composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). It is widely considered to be the premier men’s professional basketball league in the world.

The NBA was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted its current name at the start of the 1949–50 season when it merged with the National Basketball League (NBL). The league consists of 30 teams, of which 29 are located in the United States and 1 in Canada. Each team plays 82 games in the regular season.

The NBA playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament annually contested after the end of the regular season to determine the league’s champion. Forty-nine times a team has gone through an entire NBA regular season and postseason without losing a single game. Twenty-six of those occurrences have been by teams that did not win an NBA championship that year, eleven occurrences have been by teams that went on to win the NBA championship, and twelve occurrences have been by teams that reached The Finals but did not win the championship.

Outside of the United States

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the premier professional basketball league in the world. It is composed of 30 teams; 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. The NBA is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB),[4] which is recognized by FIBA (also known as the International Basketball Federation) as the national governing body for basketball in the United States.

The NBA is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, which includes Major League Baseball (MLB), National Hockey League (NHL), and National Football League (NFL). NBA players are the world’s best paid athletes by average annual salary per player.[5]

The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).[6][7] The BAA was created by owners of the major ice hockey arenas in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Canada. On August 3, 1949, with 11 teams,[8] the BAA merged with the rival National Basketball League (NBL) to form the NBA.[9] The new league had seventeen franchises based in a mix of large and small cities, as well as large arenas and smaller gymnasiums and armories.[10][11] The process of contraction saw families who owned successful teams sell them to conglomerates or other owners who would move them out of smaller cities.[12]

By 1957, when rookie center Bill Russell joined a team that featured veteran Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, concern over competitive balance led to calls for a franchise player draft. The resulting expansion added eight new teams,[13][14][15] raising the number to 21. In 1959, a dispute over television revenue resulted in several teams threatening to form a new league; one proposal featured an alignment with ABC and CBS that would have eventually included twenty-four teams. The Leagues negotiated an early settlement that split additional proceeds evenly between members.[16][17]

How the NBA’s popularity has grown over the years

The National Basketball Association has seen a steady rise in popularity over the past few years. Television ratings are up, attendance is up, and social media engagement is up. The NBA has become one of the most popular spectator sports in the United States.

In the United States

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the pre-eminent men’s professional basketball league in North America, and is widely considered to be the premier men’s professional basketball league in the world. It has 30 franchised member clubs (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada), and is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB).

The NBA was founded on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted the name National Basketball Association on August 3, 1949, after merging with the competing National Basketball League (NBL). The league’s several international as well as individual team offices are directed out of its head offices located in the Olympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, New Jersey.

As American professional basketball has grown in popularitycausing an increase innumber of people watchingthe NBA,from 445 million duringthe 2006–07 season to over a billionduringthe 2016–17 season,the NBA has also seenits numberof internationalviewersgrowfrom200 million duringthe 2002–03 season to over a billionduringthe 2016–17 season.

Outside of the United States

Although the United States has always been the main market for the NBA, its popularity has grown exponentially in recent years in China, India, and Africa.

The NBA has been working hard to expand its global reach. In China, for example, the NBA has partnered with a number of companies to open up dozens of basketball schools, reaching millions of new fans. In Africa, the NBA has launched the first-ever Junior NBA program in Ghana.

The league also airs games on television and online in over 200 countries and territories around the world. Thanks to these efforts, the NBA has become one of the most popular sports leagues in the world.