The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft attracted a larger television audience than the previous year, with ESPN and ABC averaging 4.2 million viewers across Tuesday night’s broadcast.
According to the network, viewership increased 10 percent compared to the 2025 draft, with the audience peaking at 5.5 million viewers during the 8:15 p.m. ET quarter-hour.
The broadcast featured AJ Dybantsa being selected first overall by the Wizards, followed by Darryn Peterson to the Jazz, Cameron Boozer to the Grizzlies, Caleb Wilson to the Bulls, and Keaton Wagler to the Clippers to round out the top five picks.
Interest also extended to ESPN’s pre-draft coverage, as the NBA Draft Preview averaged one million viewers, another 10 percent increase from the previous year.
While the NBA Draft saw year-over-year growth, it still trailed the NFL Draft, which averaged 13.2 million viewers earlier this year despite experiencing a slight decline from 2025.
2026 NBA Draft Draws 4.2M Viewers On ESPN, ABC, Up 10 Percent From 2025 https://t.co/wMPGTxelII
— RealGM (@RealGM) June 26, 2026
