Wouldn’t you know it? The Luka Dončić trade continues to benefit the Los Angeles Lakers, the NBA, and its media partners, while the Dallas Mavericks are not seeing similar gains. Anthony Davis is out for at least two more weeks due to an adductor strain, and on Tuesday, the Mavs suffered a 107-99 defeat to the Lakers in Los Angeles.
The game was broadcast on TNT, which promptly highlighted the impressive viewership numbers for Dončić’s first encounter with his former team. According to the network, it was the most-watched regular-season game of the year outside of opening night, breaking records as the most-watched regular-season game ever on Max, while dominating key demographics among adults 18-24, 25-54, and under 50.
TNT Sports’ networks and platforms powered record-setting audiences for the highly-anticipated @dallasmavs–@Lakers showdown last night. ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/y1qqfnrQ2s
— TNT Sports U.S. PR (@TNTSportsUS) February 26, 2025
This trend is not new, as TNT is only one of the networks benefiting from the intensified interest in the Lakers. ESPN PR reported that Saturday’s Lakers-Nuggets match drew an average of 2.87 million viewers on NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC, a 29% increase over last year’s Celtics-Knicks game in the same slot, which garnered 2.22 million viewers. Approximately 2.5 million viewers tuned in for the Mavs-Lakers game on Tuesday. If you needed any further proof that the Dončić trade has been a goldmine for the NBA’s media partners, look no further. Notably, the ongoing excitement since Dončić’s Lakers debut builds anticipation for his upcoming return to Dallas on April 9.
That rematch is expected to be a ratings juggernaut, with TNT striking gold with Dončić’s first showdown against his previous team. The network is poised to continue reaping the rewards, as viewership numbers trend upward, though it’s worth noting that April 9 falls on a Wednesday.
