• by Wayne Friedman , April 21, 2023

Viewership for the early rounds of the NBA playoffs is 12% higher than a year ago on Warner Bros. Discovery's TNT and TBS, with advertising sales posting strong results, according to company executives.

“We are highly sold,” says Jon Diament, who heads up sports advertising sales for Warner Bros. Discovery, speaking with Television News Daily.“We have done more business than we ever did before.”

This is largely due to strong early-round viewing results, which helped to offer more inventory for deal-making: “We will not have liabilities [in terms of making good inventory for advertisers]. We are back in sale.”

Diament did not provide specific details for volume, but noted that TNT/TBS has sold 20% to 50% more inventory season-to-date vs. the same time a year ago. Overall, Warner Bros. Discovery networks have around 30% of NBA playoff inventory remaining for sale.

A year ago, the NBA Playoffs -- without the NBA Finals -- totaled an estimated $782.8 million in national TV ad revenue across five networks -- TNT, ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN2 -- according to iSpot.tv.

Much of this year's NBA Playoff advertising deal-making came from higher upfront ad sales set in June a year ago. Diament says: “We sold a lot more in the upfront. Sports in general has taken up a greater share and revenue in the upfront.”

Diament also credits multi-year deals with marketers -- including that of NBA league marketer partners.

Viewing for seven NBA games is up 12% to average 3.7 million Nielsen-measured viewers.

Driving TV viewership are teams from major big-name NBA markets -- including Boston, Los Angeles, New York, and Miami, to name a few, Diament says. The games are also highly competitive, with no clear overwhelming favorite.

He also credits more marketers realizing the potential and draw of live sports. This drives more activity among big brand marketers -- including beer, liquor, soft drink companies, as well as fast food/restaurants, financial, video game, and movie marketers.

ABC opened its NBA Playoffs effort with a game featuring the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings this past Saturday and the Los Angeles Lakers-Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday averaging 5.9 million viewers --- up 4% over a year ago.

Through four games on the opening weekend, ESPN was virtually flat -- slipping 3% to 3.0 million for its NBA Playoff coverage.

Diament says NHL playoff season is also faring well -- especially with Warner Bros Discovery's TNT preparing for its first-ever Stanley Cup final. Major NHL marketing partners Discover, Geico, Jagermeister and Honda are taking big positions in the event.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s networks TNT and TBS have seen 95% of NHL advertisers deals from new marketers or those from advertisers who have increased spending.