Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James made his record-setting 20th appearance. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

The 2024 NBA All-Star game on Sunday (February 18) drew an average of 5.5 million viewers – up 20% from last year’s lowest television audience in history for the exhibition basketball event.

Viewership for the game, which was shown on the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned TNT, TBS, and truTV networks, is still the second lowest on record, however, after last year’s edition only drew 4.6 million viewers.

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That is despite the percentage increase for this year’s All-Star Game as opposed to the 2023 event being the highest in a single year since 2011, in which year viewership increased by 33%.

The NBA announced yesterday that 11.6 million unique viewers tuned in to watch the Eastern Conference beat the Western Conference in a 211-186 shootaround at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis.

While the increase in viewership can, in part, be attributed to last year having set a very low bar, other factors also boosted the figure including the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry and Phoenix Suns; Kevin Durant playing in this year’s game after missing last year due to injury.

The NBA also returned to the East-West format after years of an All-Star draft, while cutting down the lengthy pregame introductions and halftime show.

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However, the game’s overall lack of competition was widely criticized, with players including Los Angeles Lakers’ Le Bron James, Dallas Macericks’ Luck Doncic, and All-Star MCP and Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard seemingly not taking the event seriously.

Pundits and fans took to social media to raise questions as to whether the NBA should change the format or even cancel the event altogether next season.

The 2025 All-Star Game will be staged at Chase Center, San Francisco, home of the Golden State Warriors, on February 16.

The game will be televised nationally by TNT for the 23rd consecutive year.