2023 NBA Draft sets record as most watched ever

The NBA Draft drew record numbers Thursday night.

The first round of the NBA Draft was the most watched ever, Nielsen announced Friday, via ESPN’s Ben Cafardo. The first round averaged just shy of 5 million viewers on ESPN and ABC, and it peaked with just more than 6 million viewers around the time the first pick was announced.

By comparison, last year’s NBA Draft averaged nearly 4 million viewers in the first round. That was up more than 30% from 2021.

French star Victor Wembanyama went No. 1 overall to San Antonio and was followed by Brandon Miller at No. 2 to Charlotte and Scoot Henderson at No. 3 to Portland. Twins Amen and Ausar Thompson went Nos. 4 and 5 overall, respectively, in a historic first for the draft. They were the first pair of brothers to be selected in the top 10 of the same NBA Draft, and the second pair of brothers to go in the top 5 of any NBA Draft, joining Lonzo and LaMelo Ball, who were selected three years apart.

With the NBA Draft now over, attention will turn to the NBA's Summer Leagues, which start July 3 in Sacramento. Despite some early doubts, Wembanyama is set to participate in the Summer Leagues in at least some capacity. The early competition is one of several Summer Leagues throughout the country, with the one in Las Vegas, which starts July 7, featuring all 30 teams.