NBA
NBA SETS ATTENDANCE RECORD WITH 22.5M FANS SHOWING UP FOR 2023-24 REGULAR SEASON GAMES
Setting a new benchmark for the second year in a row, the league announced that total attendance for the regular season soared to 22,538,518.
Apr 15, 2024
Despite horrible teams like the Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, and the Portland Trailblazers, The NBA was still able to set new attendance benchmarks for the second year in a row; the league announced that total attendance for the 78th NBA regular season soared to 22,538,518.
This record-breaking season also witnessed 873 sellouts, with 71 percent of games selling out and an average attendance of 18,324—marking new highs in each of these categories. Additionally, the NBA proudly declared that 98 percent of arenas were packed to capacity throughout the season, setting yet another record.
These figures surpassed the previous records of 22,234,502 total attendance, 791 sellouts, 63 percent of games sold out, and an average attendance of 18,077—all achieved during the 2022-23 season. The NBA's
Of the 30 NBA teams, 12 teams reported season sellouts.
The Oklahoma City Thunder led the league with the highest increase of 12.3%, and the Minnesota Timberwolves saw a notable increase in attendance this season as well, rising by 7.5%, the fourth-highest jump. This surge in attendance can be attributed to the team's vastly improved defense, and who wouldn't want to watch Anthony Edwards do something special?
Additionally, several other teams experienced sellout seasons, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, and Utah Jazz. The Jazz was the only team not qualifying for the playoffs or the play-in tournament.
THE UNDERRATED LINE:
From LeBron to Steph to Wemby to Luka to The Joker to Embiid to George to Giannis to Tatum to SGA to Haliburton to Brunson to Anthony Edwards, the league is not experiencing a shortage of talent or intriguing storylines. This includes the first-ever In-Season Tournament, which lasted from November to December and turned into an instant success.
The tournament, which featured all 30 teams competing for what may someday be a coveted trophy, culminated in a championship game that drew 4.58 million viewers. This marked the highest viewership for a non-Christmas regular-season game since 2018. By the way, each player on the winning team was also rewarded with $500,000.
