NBA PLAYOFFS RETURN TO NBC SPORTS DELIVERS BIG VIEWERSHIP GAINS OVER FIRST THREE NIGHTS

NBC Sports Averages 4.9 Million Viewers for Six NBA Playoff Games on NBC and Peacock from April 19-21, Most-Watched for First Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday Nights for Any Network Since 1994

Spurs Game 1 Win over Trail Blazers on Sunday Night Delivers Most-Watched Game of 2026 NBA Playoffs So Far, Averaging 5.7 Million Viewers on NBC and Peacock

Tuesday Night's Rockets-Lakers is Most-Watched First Round Game 2 Since 2011, Averaging 5.2 Million Viewers

NBA Playoffs Continue Across NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN Saturday-Tuesday

STAMFORD, Conn. - April 24, 2026 - NBC Sports' presentation of the NBA Playoffs for the first time in 24 years delivered strong viewership gains and multiple milestones across NBC and Peacock during the first week of coverage, powered by a star studded postseason featuring stars such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokić, Anthony Edwards, Victor Wembanyana, Jalen Brunson, and more.

NBC Sports' first six NBA Playoff games from Sunday, April 19, through Tuesday, April 21, averaged 4.9 million viewers, up 38% vs. comparable coverage last year and the most-watched for the first Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights of the playoffs since 1994.

Following are highlights for NBC Sports' first three nights of NBA Playoffs coverage* (all viewership is Total Audience Delivery across NBC and Peacock unless noted):

· Tuesday

· Trail Blazers-Spurs Game 2 (8:00-10:46 pm ET) peaked at 6.7 million viewers -- tying it with Magic-Pistons Game 1 on Sunday night for NBC Sports' best viewership peak of the playoffs thus far. The game also averaged 4.6 million viewers, up 105% from the game in the same window last year.

· Rockets-Lakers Game 2 (10:46pm-12:56am ET) peaked at 5.8 million viewers and averaged 5.2 million, up 27% vs. comparable game last year and ranking as the most-watched First Round Game 2 since 2011.

· The two-game average of 4.9 million viewers ranks as the most-watched day of First Round Game 2s since 1998.

· Monday

· Hawks-Knicks Game 2 (8:00-10:52 pm ET) peaked at 6.1 million viewers and averaged 4.7 million viewers, up 43% vs. the comparable game last season and making it the second-most-watched First Round Game 2 since 2012, behind only NBC Sports' Rockets-Lakers on Tuesday night.

· Timberwolves-Nuggets Game 2 (10:52pm-1:12am ET) peaked at 5.0 million viewers and averaged 4.4 million, up 27% compared to the game in the same window last year and the most-watched First Round Game 2 in the late primetime window since 2012.

· The two games combined to average 4.6 million viewers, up 35% from Day 3 of the NBA Playoffs last year.

· Through its first four games, NBC Sports averaged 5.0 million viewers on NBC/Peacock, the most for the opening Sunday and Monday nights of the NBA Playoffs since 1995.

· Sunday

· Trail Blazers-Spurs Game 1 (9:10-11:45 pm ET) peaked at 6.5 million viewers and averaged 5.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched game of the 2026 NBA Playoffs to date and up 35% vs. the comparable playoff game last year.

· Magic-Pistons Game 1 (6:39-9:10 pm ET), which averaged 5.0 million viewers, peaked at 6.7 million viewers, tying it with Trail Blazers-Spurs Game 2 on Tuesday night for NBC Sports' best viewership peak of the playoffs thus far.

· The two games combined to power NBC to a Sunday night win in all key demos.

* Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel, and digital data from Adobe Analytics

NBC Sports also streamed two games on Peacock and NBCSN.

***

The 2026 NBA Playoffs continue across NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN beginning tomorrow, April 25, featuring NBA MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Western Conference No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder in their first road playoff game of the season; LeBron James and the Lakers taking on Kevin Durant and the Rockets in Houston; Jalen Brunson and the Knicks battling the Hawks in Atlanta; and Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the Celtics visiting the longtime Boston rival 76ers. This will be NBC Sports' first time presenting NBA games on a Saturday this season.

Over the course of four days (April 25-28), NBC Sports will present nine playoff games, including Saturday and Monday tripleheaders, a Sunday doubleheader, and potential series-clinching Game 4s and Game 5s. Click here for more information.

--NBC SPORTS--