ESPN and TNT Sports are betting that an NBA playoffs mix of new entrants and traditional powerhouses will help drive viewership of the league’s postseason games.
Following this week’s play-in tournament, the next phase of the NBA postseason tips off this weekend with all 16 playoff teams playing across TNT, ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. Sports programmers point to the infusion of new teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder — the top seed in the Western Conference — as well as the Eastern Conference qualifiers Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers, as an opportunity to draw in new viewers while increasing the interest for hard-core fans.
