2026年春季顶级体育视频报告

TopsofSportsSpring2026

Chapter1

HowNBAstarshelp

driveviewershipfor

theleague

3

Chapter3

Incaseyoumissedit,

IndyCarracingis

thriving

5

Tableof

contents

Chapter4

Theforcesbehind

thePGATour’s

momentum

6

Chapter2

Hockeyishaving

amoment

4

HowNielsen

canhelp

7

afNielsenCopyright©2026TheNielsenCompany(US),LLC.2

afNielsenCopyright©2026TheNielsenCompany(US),LLC.3

HowNBAstarshelpdriveviewershipfortheleague

TheNBA’snewdistributiondealshavepaidoffthisyear,deliveringa27%increaseinaverageaudiencefortheregularseasonanda10%bumpfortheearlyroundsoftheplayoffs.AswepreviewedinourSportsPlaybookearlierthisyear,theleagueisnowreachingayounger-skewingaudienceonstreamingwhilestillgettingthe

benefitoflargercrowdsonbroadcastandcable.

Thoughtherearemultiplefactorsthatcanimpacthowmuch

viewingaparticularteamdraws(includingmarketsize,timeslot,record,etc.),theNBAstandsoutforhowmuchtheplayersmovetheneedle.Infact,63%offanssaytheystartedfollowingthe

leaguebecauseofaspecificplayer1

Whenwelookatthemost-viewedplayersonNBAsocialmedia

alongsidethemost-watchedteamsduringtheregularseason,

wecanseeaclearcorrelation.Allbutthreeteamshaveaplayer

intheNBA’stop10forsocialviews.WhilenoNewYorkKnicksor

BostonCelticsplayersmadethelist,thosearemajormarketteamswhobothmadeittotheplayoffsthisyear.Andofcourse,those

twoteamsaswellastheClevelandCavaliershavepopularplayersthatjusthappenednottomakeittotheverytopofthecharts.

Cleveland’sDonovanMitchell,forexample,hasnearlyfourmillionfollowersonInstagram.

1NielsenFanInsights,April-December2025

Figure1

Top10most-viewedplayersonNBAsocialanddigitalchannels

Numberofviews,2025-26regularseason

ShaiGilgeous-Alexander

OklahomaCityThunder

LeBronJames

LosAngelesLakers

2.85B

1.14B

6

1

2

VictorWembanyama

SanAntonioSpurs

2.43B

3

LukaDončić

LosAngelesLakers

2.11B

4

StephenCurry

GoldenStateWarriors

1.87B

7

KevinDurant

HoustonRockets

1.03B

8

AnthonyEdwards

MinnesotaTimberwolves

982M

9

CooperFlagg

DallasMavericks

963M

NikolaJokić

DenverNuggets

AustinReaves

LosAngelesLakers

696M

1.23B

10

5

Source:NBA

Top10most-watchedNBAteams

Basedonpersons2+averageaudience,2025-26regularseason

Team

Rank

1OklahomaCityThunder

2LosAngelesLakers

3NewYorkKnicks

4HoustonRockets

5DenverNuggets

Rank

6

Team

SanAntonioSpurs

7

BostonCeltics

8

DallasMavericks

9

GoldenStateWarriors

10

ClevelandCavaliers

Source:NielsenNationalTVandLiveStreamingRatings,Live+SameDay,BigData+Panel

afNielsenCopyright©2026TheNielsenCompany(US),LLC.4

Hockeyishavingamoment

Inlate2025,HBOMaxlaunchedromanticdramaHeatedRivalry,setintheworldofprofessionalicehockey.Theseriesbuiltmomentumsteadily,beforebecomingaculturalphenomenon.HeatedRivalrynotchednearlytwobillionstreamingminutesinthefirstquarterof2026.2ThehaloeffectfortheNHL

wasimmediate.TheleaguereportedthatTikTokfollowersontheirofficialaccountjumped83%aftertheshow’sdebut.

ThemomentumcarriedintotheOlympicWinterGamesMilanoCortina2026inFebruary,whereboththemen’sandwomen’sU.S.hockeyteamsearned

goldmedalsandrecordviewership.Notably,itwasthefirsttimeNHLplayersparticipatedintheGamessince2014.Andtheculturalandathleticstories

convergedinafittingmomentasHeatedRivalrystarsHudsonWilliamsandConnorStorrieparticipatedintheOlympicTorchRelayaheadofthe

OpeningCeremony.

FlashforwardtothecloseoftheNHLregularseason,andaverageviewershipwasup25%.Thefirstroundofthepostseasonsawanevengreaterliftof

77%.Butinthemidstofallthegrowth,it’seasytoforgetthattheNHLremainsoneofthemostaffluent-skewingsportsontelevision.Thathasbeenthecaseforsometime,butittendstoflyundertheradar.

Afinalmarkerofhockey‘sexpandingculturalfootprintcameinMarchwiththenationalTVdebutoftheProfessionalWomen’sHockeyLeague(PWHL).

ThematchupbetweentheNewYorkSirensandMontrealVictoireonIONdrewabout133,000viewers,puttingitonparwiththeNationalWomen’sSoccer

League,whichitselfhasbeenontherise.Women18+madeup45%ofthe

audience,about10percentagepointshigherthantheNHL,thoughthemen’sleaguehasseengainswithwomenthisseason.Withrecognizablestarslike

HilaryKnighthelpingleadtheleague‘svisibility,thePWHLhaspositioneditselfasoneofthemorepromisingopportunitiesforbrandslookingtoreachwomensportsfans.

2NielsenStreamingContentRatings

Figure2

25%

increaseinaverageviewershipfortheNHLregularseason

28%

bumpamongwomen18+

77%

increaseinaverageviewershipforthefirstroundofthe

NHLplayoffs

133K

averageaudienceforthefirst

nationalbroadcastofthePWHL,45%ofwhichwerewomen

MedianincomeofsportsTVaudiences

2025Formula1

$121,400

2026Men’sNCAATournament

$115,200

2025–26NHLRegularSeason

$112,000

2025GrandSlamTennis

$111,800

2025NFLRegularSeason

$99,800

2025PGATour

$97,300

2025CollegeFootballRegularSeason

$94,000

2025MLBRegularSeason

$92,600

2025–26NBARegularSeason

$86,800

2026Women’sNCAATournament

$86,300

2025WNBARegularSeason

$73,800

Source:NielsenNationalTVData,Live+SameDay.BigData+PanelforcurrentNHLseason,Panel-Onlyforprior.AllmedianincomedatabasedonPanel-Only.

afNielsenCopyright©2026TheNielsenCompany(US),LLC.5

Incaseyoumissedit,

IndyCarracingisthriving

Intheworldofmotorsports,Formula1hasgottenalotofattentioninrecentyears,andwithgoodreason.Netflix’sDrivetoSurvivedocumentaryserieshelpedbringattentiontothesport,andviewingforliveracesexperienced

apositivehaloeffect.Then,lastyear,F1theMoviestarringBradPittandDamsonIdrishadasuccessfulboxofficerunandfourAcademyAwardnominations.

PerhapslessnoticeableisthefactthatIndyCarracinghasbeenquietly

thrivingatthesametime.Lastyear’sIndianapolis500—theseries’premier

race—averagedoversevenmillionviewers,themostin17years.Thatrace

alsomadehistoryonthetrackwithAlexPaloubecomingSpain‘sfirstdrivertowinthe500,laterclaiminghisfourthserieschampionship.Thenthereis

Mexico‘sPatoO‘Ward,oneofthemostfollowedpersonalitiesinthepaddock.IndyCar’srosterofinternationaltalenthashelpedbringthesporttonew

andmorediverseaudiences,withtheseriesseeinga64%jumpinHispanicviewershiplastyearcomparedto2024.3

It’snotjusttheIndy500thathasseengrowth.Otherthanaslightblipin

2024,whenmoreracesairedoncablethaninpreviousyears,theaverageaudienceforthefullseasonhasalsopickedup.The2026seriesisalreadyofftoastrongstartaswell,withthefirstfiveracesaveraging1.2million

viewers,44%higherthanthesameperiodin2025.4

ViewingtrendsarenottheonlyevidenceofAmericans’increasedinterestinIndyCarracing;accordingtoNielsenFanInsights,19%ofrespondentsreportedbeingsomewhatorveryinterestedinIndyCarasofMarch2026.

That’supfrom15%inMarchof2023.

3HispanicaudiencecomparisonsbasedonPanel-Only.

4BigData+Panelfor2026comparedtoPanel-Onlyfor2025.

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Figure3

IndyCarfullseasonviewership

Persons2+averageaudience(inmillions)

1.4

1.3

1.1

1.1

2022202320242025

Indianapolis500raceviewership

20yeartrend,persons2+averageaudience(inmillions)

7.6

7.2

7.1

6.76.9

6.5

6.4

6.3

6.1

6.0

5.7

5.8

5.6

5.5

5.4

4.9

5.0

4.64.7

Source:NielsenNationalTVData,Live+SameDay.Panel-Onlypriorto2026,BigData+Panelonward.

afNielsenCopyright©2026TheNielsenCompany(US),LLC.6

TheforcesbehindthePGATour’smomentum

WenotedinourwinterTopsofSportsreportthatviewingofmajorPGAToureventssawyearoveryeargrowthin2025,andthattrendhascontinuedintothisyear.Sofarin2026,5theTourisaveraging

1.5millionviewers,whichisup21%comparedtothesametimeperiodin2025.

Sowhat’sbehindthePGATour’smomentum?Itseemseffortstoevolvethefranchise’ssocialmediapresencemaybepayingoff,

asNielsenScarboroughdatashowsasteadyincreaseininterestsince2023.AndCEOBrianRolapp,whojoinedthetourlastyearfromtheNFL,aimstosuperchargethoseefforts.

TherehasalsobeenaslowbutnoticeableuptickinthepercentageofAmericanswhoareplayinggolf.That,too,maybecontributingtomorepeopletuningin.

Lastly,aninfluxofyoungAsiantalentincludingJapaneseAmericanCollinMorikawa,IndianAmericanAkshayBhatia,andSouthKoreanSiWooKimlookstobehelpingtoexpandthetour’saudience.

AANHPIviewershiptoPGAToureventsisup12%sofarthisyear.6

5IncludesPGAToureventsthroughMay2,2026comparedtothesameperiodin2025.

6AsianaudiencecomparisonsbasedonPanel-Only.

Figure4

PGATourfandomgrowth

%veryorsomewhatinterestedinPGATour,2021-2025

14%

13%

12%

11%

13.3%

ll

13.8%

12.6%

12.3%

11.4%

11.3%

11.3%

11.1%

10.9%10.8%

10%

MayNovAprNovMayOctAprOctMayOct

20212022202320242025

NielsenScarboroughwave(endmonth)

Recreationalgolfplayergrowth

%whoplayedgolfinthepast12months,2021-2025

12.2%12.1%12.1%

11.6%12.3%

12.5%

12.0%

11.5%

11.0%

11.3%

11.2%

11.0%11.0%11.0%

10.5%

10.0%

MayNovAprNovMayOctAprOctMayOct

20212022202320242025

NielsenScarboroughwave(endmonth)

Source:NielsenScarboroughUSA+2021R1-2025R2

afNielsen