According to figures from NBA League Pass, the Los Angeles Lakers were the most-watched NBA team in the UK at the end of the 2018-19 season.
NBA League Pass, the NBA’s official subscription-based broadcast service, has seen an increase in international fans watching games on its platform during the 2018-19 season, thanks, in no small part, to the growing impact of international players in the league.
The 2018-19 season is the fifth consecutive season that has featured at least 100 international players, with all 30 teams featuring a minimum of one international player on their roster.
As a result, international subscriptions for NBA League Pass are up by +21% this season. The UK, in particular, has seen a 30% year-on-year increase in NBA League Pass subscribers, now ranking fifth in total number of League Pass subscriptions among markets outside the US and China.
At the end of the 2018-19 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have captured the top spot as the most-watched NBA team in the UK, a testament to LeBron James’s popularity in the country.
The Golden State Warriors are ranked the second most-watched team on NBA League Pass in the UK, followed by the Boston Celtics in third.
NBA League Pass International Viewership by the numbers:
Unique international viewers are up +15%
Total watch time for NBA League Pass internationally is up +16%
The Denver Nuggets (+41%) and Dallas Mavericks (+34%) rank first and second among all 30 teams in YoY unique viewer growth internationally
Serbia (+395%) and Slovenia (+186%) have seen the largest YoY growth in unique viewers among all countries outside the US, driven largely by Nikola Jokić (Serbia) and rookie Luka Dončić (Slovenia)