The NBA Cup has boosted attendance, viewership and fan engagement, becoming a key growth driver for the league with players praising its playoff-like atmosphere
THE NBA Cup has evolved from an “outside the box” idea into a resounding success with players and fans.
The third edition of the league’s mid-season tournament continues with semi-final games on Saturday in Las Vegas.
NBA executive vice president Evan Wasch said the league has been “thrilled with the results” of the innovative competition.
The NBA’s all-time best November attendance averages have occurred in the three years since the Cup’s creation.
Cup games have averaged 2.2 billion views across NBA digital platforms, a 41% increase over last year.
Global viewership of NBA Cup telecasts jumped 10% year-over-year on the same channels, excluding China.
Players compete for the Cup title and a prize of USD 530,933 for each member of the winning team.
New York’s Jalen Brunson said the tournament creates a unique “atmosphere” where “you just know there’s something else at stake.”
The concept of a Cup-style tournament had been discussed for decades before gaining serious traction post-pandemic.
Wasch said emerging from the Covid “bubble” sparked momentum to innovate with “outside the box” growth ideas.
The Cup was developed alongside negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement and media rights deals.
It provided a new “tentpole to pump up a media package” and a long-term growth opportunity for the league.
The format integrates most Cup games into the regular season, with eight teams advancing to knockout rounds.
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers won the inaugural title in 2023.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks captured the championship last year.
More than 40 million people in the United States watched last month’s NBA Cup group stage, a 90% increase from 2024.
Cup games are attracting significantly more younger viewers than non-Cup nights.
The final week of group play averaged 2.19 million US viewers, the league’s best such regular-season mark since 2018-19.
New telecaster NBC drew 2.7 million US viewers for a Tuesday double-header, a 122% jump from 2024.
Part of the appeal has been exceptionally close games during the tournament.
Twenty percent of this year’s group stage games were decided by three points or fewer.
Miami’s Jaime Jaquez said players enter these games “extremely excited” because “it feels like a playoff atmosphere.”
The NBA is still considering changes to improve the Cup, such as adjusting the number of group games.
An already announced change will see next year’s semi-finals played on the higher seed’s home court.
The final will remain in Las Vegas as the only Cup game not part of the regular-season schedule.
Wasch said the league is focused on “trying to build on the magic we’ve seen.”
Inclusion of European clubs is a possibility once a planned NBA Europe league is launched. – AFP
