NBA's return to NBC averages 5.61M viewers, most-watched October opening night in 15 years

The NBA's return to NBC with a doubleheader on Tuesday night averaged 5.61 million viewers, the most-watched October opening night in 15 years according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel measurements and digital data from Adobe Analytics. The first game between the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets averaged 5.85 million viewers on NBC and Peacock. It was the most-watched opening night game in the early window since 2010, when LeBron James made his debut for Miami.