The NBA market size commonly refers to the number of TV households that a team reaches in its local area. Some calculations also take into consideration the population of the franchise’s metropolitan area.
The total NBA market size is hard to determine because several teams, like the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, are based in the same area. Instead, we’ll focus on the NBA market size by team.
The market size is important in the NBA because it impacts the team’s revenue, fan base size, and media exposure. With a larger market, a team reaches more households and can get larger local TV broadcasting deals. They can also count on large fanbases, which translates to bigger home attendance and more merchandise sales. Finally, the added media exposure attracts more advertisers and sponsorships. It also provides more endorsement opportunities for players and impacts free agent decisions.
The top NBA teams ranked by market size include franchises based in areas with over 2 million TV households:
The biggest advantage that NBA teams with large markets have is higher revenue. Their larger TV audience gets them more money from local media. They are situated in areas with larger populations, meaning more fans who attend games and buy jerseys. Additionally, sponsors are willing to offer them better terms because they will reach out to more potential customers and clients.
Higher revenue translates to a competitive advantage. Teams in this tier can afford to pay NBA luxury tax, allowing them to attract and keep star players. This is important to know when betting on NBA games.
These teams need to be competitive in order to get greater visibility and attention from national and global audiences.
Compared to larger markets, they don’t get the same kind of revenue and exposure. But they are more attractive to free agents, able to attract better sponsors, and appear frequently on national television compared to smaller markets.
The NBA team market size rankings with the smallest markets include 10 teams:
The limited reach of these teams contributes to their challenges in attracting audiences. They are rarely featured on national television because large market teams attract bigger viewership numbers. Their brand is less recognizable in other countries like India, and mainstream sports media doesn’t give them significant coverage unless they are highly successful. This all contributes to less interest from casual fans outside their cities.
Still, several small-market NBA teams have managed to find success despite small reach. The most recent examples are the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers, which played each other in the 2025 NBA Finals. The Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA Championship in 2021. Also, the San Antonio Spurs claimed five titles between 1999 and 2014 despite being a low-ranked NBA team by market size.
The NBA market size ranks are determined by Nielsen’s Designated Market Areas (DMAs). The DMAs refer to specific geographical regions of the U.S. and indicate how many homes with a TV are inside each region.
Being in a DMA with more TV households gives teams leverage in negotiations with local and regional TV stations. They are able to secure better broadcasting deals because their games will be viewed by more people. The sponsors also recognize the larger reach and are likely to pursue a partnership with these teams.
This article shows that the NBA teams market size plays a key role in generating revenue. It also affects the size of the team’s fan base and the recognizability of their brand at the national and global level.
Still, the market size doesn’t always translate to success. In the modern NBA, even the small-market teams are able to stay competitive. This makes them a popular choice among punters using the international betting sites.
