The NBA is doing "intense" research on its depressed television ratings early this season. Adam Silver, however, doesn't believe the NBA has an interest issue overall. Silver also believes the league is well positioned to take advantage of the streaming landscape with games being aired on Prime and Peacock beginning next season as part of their new media deals.
"I would just say, to say it directly, ratings are down a bit at the beginning of the season, but cable television viewership is down double digits so far this year versus last year," Silver said. "We're almost at the inflection point where people are watching more programming on streaming than they are in traditional television. And it's a reason why for our new television deals, which we're entering into next year, every game is going to be available on a streaming service.
"And as we move to streaming services, putting aside how the actual game is played on the floor, it's going to allow us from a production standpoint to do all kinds of things that you can't do through traditional television. All kinds of new functionality, all kinds of new options and screens that are available.
"So at the end of the day, we are an entertainment product and the vast majority of people consume us through media, not in person. So we have to pay a lot of attention to that. But if you look at other data points in terms of our business for example, we've just come off the last two years of the highest attendance in the history of this league. We're at a point where our social media audience is at the highest of any league and continuing to grow exponentially. So there's not a lack of interest in this game."
