Prime Video's NBA Play-in Sees Early Viewership Gains Over Cable
Exclusively on Prime Video, the NBA Play-in Tournament posted 2.69 million average viewers over its first two nights, up 12% from last year's cable windows, with streaming drawing larger shares among younger viewers (18-34 +32%, 18-49 +31%, 25-54 +26%). Nielsen's new Big Data + panel methodology helps explain part of the rise. Wednesday's Warriors-Clippers led at 3.15M (up 47%), with the doubleheader averaging 2.91M, while Heat-Hornets and Trail Blazers-Suns showed mixed results. Overall, Prime Video is showing it can generate near-linear audiences for big events despite lacking traditional appointment programming, amid broader rights scrutiny.