Lakers' In-Season Tournament Triumph Breaks Ratings Record
The finale of the NBA In-Season Tournament between the Pacers and Lakers garnered the league's highest audience outside of Christmas and the postseason in over five years, with an average rating of 2.5 and 4.58 million viewers across ABC and ESPN2. The Lakers' win saw a significant increase in ratings and viewership compared to last season's Celtics-Warriors NBA Finals rematch. Locally, the game achieved record-high ratings in Indianapolis and Los Angeles. Overall, NBA games this season are averaging 1.72 million viewers, up 7% from the same point last season.