NEW YORK – The NBA set the all-time regular-season attendance record for a third consecutive season with 21,997,412 fans attending games during the 2016-17 regular season.

The new record eclipses last year’s total of 21,972,129.

Additionally, the NBA established a new regular-season attendance record for average attendance (17,884), eclipsing the previous high set last year.  This year also marked the 13^th straight season that league attendance has been at least 90 percent or more of arena capacity (94 percent).

The 2016-17 regular season tied last year’s sellout record (723), marking the third consecutive year the league had 700 or more games sold out.               

Highest Total NBA Regular-Season Attendances All-Time

1. 2016-17                 21,997,412
2. 2015-16                 21,972,129
3. 2014-15                 21,926,548
4. 2006-07                 21,841,480
5. 2005-06                 21,595,804

                        Highest Average NBA Regular-Season Attendances All-Time

1. 2016-17                 17,884
2. 2015-16                 17,864
3. 2014-15                 17,826
4. 2006-07                 17,757
5. 2005-06                 17,558

Along with record-setting attendance, the NBA set all-time marks for social media and retail. The league established new records across social media this season for impressions (42.6 billion, +40%) and video views (8.2 billion, +96%). Since the end of the 2015-16 regular season, 282 million new fans have joined the NBA’s social media community – a 27 percent increase. Overall, the league has more than 1.3 billion likes and followers combined across all league, team, and player social platforms worldwide.

In addition, NBAStore.com posted record-breaking sales during the 2016-17 regular season, up 15 percent.

The 2017 NBA Playoffs tip off Saturday, April 15, with 16 teams competing for a trip to The Finals and the chance to win The Larry O’Brien Trophy.