National Basketball Association (NBA) - statistics & facts

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America comprising 30 franchises, of which 29 are located in the United States and one in Canada (Toronto Raptors). The league was founded in 1946, then named the Basketball Association of America (BAA). In 1949, the BAA merged with the rival National Basketball League (NBL) to form the National Basketball Association.

How much revenue does the NBA generate?

The last decade has seen the NBA’s revenue more than double, reaching over 10 billion U.S. dollars in the 2022/23 season. A significant portion of the league’s revenue is generated from gate receipts taken by NBA teams, regularly making up a share of over a fifth of the league’s total revenue. In addition, the NBA’s sponsorship deals, such as those with Nike and 2K Sports, provide the league with over 1.6 billion U.S. dollars per year. On a team level, the leading NBA franchise in terms of revenue is the Golden State Warriors, having generated 765 million U.S. dollars in revenue in the 2022/23 season.

How many fans attend NBA games?

With such a large share of revenue generated by gate receipts, NBA teams are reliant on getting fans through their turnstiles. The average regular home season attendance in the NBA is roughly 18 thousand per game, with the Chicago Bulls topping the NBA rankings for the largest average home attendance. Meanwhile, the average TV viewership for NBA regular season games is around 1.6 million per season.

Who is the greatest NBA player of all time?

Any discussion of the league’s greatest all-time player would be remiss not to include LeBron James. As the NBA’s all-time top point scorer and one of the all-time assist leaders in the NBA, the four-time champion has had a career few could rival. In his 20 years in the NBA, “King James” has also built a massive commercial presence, earning the most from endorsements among NBA players in 2023 by a considerable margin. However, many still understandably consider Michael Jordan the league’s greatest all-time player. During his time with the Chicago Bulls, the five-time MVP winner was a dominant force both offensively and defensively and at the heart of the team’s two three-peats during the 1990s. With the help of Air Jordan branding, MJ also became basketball’s first true global icon.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Sep 26, 2024

Key insights

NBA total league revenue
11.34bn USD
Average operating income per franchise in the NBA
86.73m USD
Average franchise value of NBA teams
4.42bn USD
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Atlanta Hawks
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