2026 NBA All-Star Game Sets Massive Viewership Records

For years now, the NBA All-Star Game has come under immense criticism, not only from fans, but analysts, former and even current players, with the league continually trying to shake things up. In 2026, we got yet another different format, with this time, Commissioner Adam Silver making the USA vs. World format that took somewhat from the NHL's Four Nations Face Off back in 2025.

While there were question marks over whether this would work, it appears as though the feedback has been mainly very positive from fans, who seemed to enjoy the new format. Those at home clearly did as well, as the ratings are now out for the game, with the NBA not only seeing an 87% rise in viewership from 2025, but the 8.8 million viewers were the highest since 2011.

Those questions have clearly been answered, and while the night before didn't seem too interesting to many fans, the new format and the players involved clearly brought them in, with the NBA seeing it's highest viewership in 15 years. Now, the challenge will be getting players invested once again in 2027, but with many veterans maybe seeing their last event, we could see even more viewers a year from now.

Ultimately, when done right, the NBA All-Star Game can be plenty of fun, and while the league has struggled with it increasingly over the years, if this new format works, it should be something fans will need to tune into year after year.