NBA restart viewership more than doubles regular-season average

The NBA is back, and an appetite among fans appears to have come with it.

TNT's broadcast of Thursday's NBA restart doubleheader more than doubled the network's average viewership for a regular-season telecast, with an average audience of 2.9 million, the league and Turner Sports announced.

The nightcap between the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers delivered an average audience of 3.4 million, with a peak viewership of 4.1 million. The Lakers defeated the Clippers 103-101, while the Utah Jazz beat the New Orleans Pelicans 106-104 in the first game.

TNT's "Inside the NBA" program also garnered its best ratings since the opening weekend of the 2018-19 season, with an average of 1.3 million viewers.