NBA London Game delivers record UK viewership
The NBA’s return to London has delivered record-breaking UK audiences, underlining the rapid growth of interest in the NBA across the country.
The NBA London Game 2026, a regular-season fixture between the Orlando Magic and the Memphis Grizzlies on January 18, was the most-watched NBA Global Game ever in the UK, while in person, 18,424 were in attendance.
Viewership for the London game was up 90% compared with the last NBA game staged in the capital in 2019, making it the most-watched NBA London Game ever in Europe.
The game formed part of the opening months of the NBA’s new 11-year broadcast partnership with Prime Video, which began in October 2025.
According to figures released by the NBA, average viewership for NBA games on Prime Video in the UK is up 312% year-on-year across a comparable number of games, while overall season-on-season viewership growth in the UK has risen by 444%.
“These record audiences on Prime Video demonstrate an untapped demand for the NBA in Europe, and we saw that passion once again in London,” said Alex Green, Managing Director of Prime Video Sport, International.
“Audiences are consistently tuning in and making the NBA on Prime a part of their weekly sports schedule.”
UK fan engagement also extended beyond the broadcast figures. Content from the London game contributed to more than 350 million views across NBA social platforms from the two European fixtures, the second-highest total ever for a pair of NBA Global Games.
Fans from a record 62 countries and territories purchased tickets across the London and Berlin games, while more than 50,000 supporters registered for tickets to NBA House fan events in the UK and Germany.
The league has already confirmed it will return to the UK in the 2026–27 season, with a regular-season game scheduled at the Co-op Live. The Manchester fixture will mark the first time an NBA regular-season game has been staged in the city, following previous pre-season appearances in the north of England.
The London and Berlin games were the 98th and 99th NBA games staged in Europe since 1984 and marked the first time the NBA has played two regular-season games in two European cities in the same season.
The post NBA London Game delivers record UK viewership appeared first on Hoopsfix.com.