Are the NBA ratings down because of superteams?

[Galloisdaman]

There are multiple reasons. None are the sole reason but all play a role.

Streaming is only a small part of it. There has been streaming for years.

Politics definitely plays a role not just in sports but in other avenues of entertainment. If you annoy or insult 40% of the ticket buyers they will be less inclined to watch. That does not mean all 40% will boycott or not watch any games. It only takes a rotating 10% watching less games to make a real impact in ratings. Even Adam Silver admitted some people just want to watch a game without any politics on all sides. They are already bashed 24/7 via cable news. Some (not all) people want a break from real life issues not only with sports but in movies and TV as well.

Covid played a role. The games are less entertaining without crowds. Also people learned they could live without games. Doesn't mean they will never watch games. Its just not a must see anymore.

[Edug27]

I don’t know much about regular season ratings, but a Lakers vs Nets finals would help for sure. Ratings gold. Especially if it goes 6 or 7 games.

[The Rebel]

I don’t know much about regular season ratings, but a Lakers vs Nets finals would help for sure. Ratings gold. Especially if it goes 6 or 7 games.

You sure about that? I think all the leagues and ESPN are starting to figure out that the rest of the country doesn't care near as much as you think they do. While LA and New York are huge markets, the rest of the country seems to have turned off the finals last year.

[Edug27]

I don’t know much about regular season ratings, but a Lakers vs Nets finals would help for sure. Ratings gold. Especially if it goes 6 or 7 games.

You sure about that? I think all the leagues and ESPN are starting to figure out that the rest of the country doesn't care near as much as you think they do. While LA and New York are huge markets, the rest of the country seems to have turned off the finals last year.

Last years finals was not an intriguing matchup. The Heat didn’t belong there. I myself barely tuned in. But Kyrie, Harden, KD vs Lebron and AD is about as good as it gets.

[clyde21]

a lot of people in denial in this thread about this being an issue i see

[DoctorX]

The real concern is how ratings will be impacted once Lebron retires.

In terms of popularity , we had guys like Magic/Bird then Jordan then Kobe then Lebron

After that I don’t see the type of name brand that these next generation of superstars have compared to the ones I mentioned above

I also see a trend across NFL, MLB and NBA where analytics is being more emphasized over entertainment value. Efficiency is being emphasized more over what’s more “aesthically” pleasing to watch. Hardcore fans like the more efficient play, but casual/new fans have a hard time understanding what VORP, RAPM mean. If you try to explain it to them they will just give you a blank look, when it’s easier to explain just what points are. If all you just see are three pointers, layups or fouls. It may not be as much fun to watch for casuals

Kobe didn't become really big time until '00 which was 2 years after Jordan retired. Lebron came into the league a year later after Jordan's final retirement. The league will always find somebody new to market. I will never underestimate the league's marketing machine especially with Disney behind them. Lebron most likely will be retired around 2024 or 2025. It's hard for me to believe in the next 3-4 years there will be no new guy that enters the league to fill the void.

[jc23]

But weren't we told, that the NBA will ask for three times as much TV money? Who would pay that much with ratings that are going down instead of up?

The NBA will get three times as much.

They know this because despite the NBA's TV ratings going down, its popularity is still very high. Especially among young people.

Once they bring these games to their streaming platforms it will become extremely lucrative.

Cable TV is a dying medium.

Its popular among young people but i dont believe they sit and watch a full games over the course of a season. At least not without looking at their phone 173 times. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

[Hello Brooklyn]

But weren't we told, that the NBA will ask for three times as much TV money? Who would pay that much with ratings that are going down instead of up?

The NBA will get three times as much.

They know this because despite the NBA's TV ratings going down, its popularity is still very high. Especially among young people.

Once they bring these games to their streaming platforms it will become extremely lucrative.

Cable TV is a dying medium.

Its popular among young people but i dont believe they sit and watch a full games over the course of a season. At least not without looking at their phone 173 times. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Some of that has to do with streaming though.

If the NBA had streaming options on more platforms I think more young people would watch it.

But even then I agree young people are more likely to just watch highlights.

ESPN has to find a way to monetize that content.

[G35]

The real concern is how ratings will be impacted once Lebron retires.

In terms of popularity , we had guys like Magic/Bird then Jordan then Kobe then Lebron

After that I don’t see the type of name brand that these next generation of superstars have compared to the ones I mentioned above

I also see a trend across NFL, MLB and NBA where analytics is being more emphasized over entertainment value. Efficiency is being emphasized more over what’s more “aesthically” pleasing to watch. Hardcore fans like the more efficient play, but casual/new fans have a hard time understanding what VORP, RAPM mean. If you try to explain it to them they will just give you a blank look, when it’s easier to explain just what points are. If all you just see are three pointers, layups or fouls. It may not be as much fun to watch for casuals

Kobe didn't become really big time until '00 which was 2 years after Jordan retired. Lebron came into the league a year later after Jordan's final retirement. The league will always find somebody new to market. I will never underestimate the league's marketing machine especially with Disney behind them. Lebron most likely will be retired around 2024 or 2025. It's hard for me to believe in the next 3-4 years there will be no new guy that enters the league to fill the void.

Disney is the 2nd to last company I would trust to advertise...the last company would be Gillette......

[madmaxmedia]

I don’t know much about regular season ratings, but a Lakers vs Nets finals would help for sure. Ratings gold. Especially if it goes 6 or 7 games.

You sure about that? I think all the leagues and ESPN are starting to figure out that the rest of the country doesn't care near as much as you think they do. While LA and New York are huge markets, the rest of the country seems to have turned off the finals last year.

Two big market teams with big stars- pretty sure ratings for such a Finals would be big, especially if it made it to 6 or 7 games.

That being said, I don't think the ratings of the Finals make or break the entire season as luck can make a ratings-friendly or unfriendly Finals match up. More telling is if overall average TV ratings have gone down significantly.

[PRESTIGE]

Eventually talent will be so concentrated the top NBA teams will be in a class of their own.

Maybe they will break away and create a Super League. I’m sure the owners would love that. Should go over well with the fans.

[floppymoose]

I dont know. Fill me in.

Seriously, who will be in the finals?

Barring injuries, there is about a 0% chance anyone other than the Lakers and Nets play in the finals.

There are always injuries, especially with older players. Turns out there is something to watching the games after all.

[Secret Lover14]

Ratings are usually better with superteams.

[The Rebel]

Ratings are usually better with superteams.

Are they? The bad boys Piston still outdrew the Warriors over the last few years. Outside of 1998 when you had the last season of the Bulls, I would say that the biggest factor is you need a good and a bad team. A team that fans hate and a team that fans love. The Celtics and Lakers were that way, even if you followed another team pretty much any basketball fan in the country liked either Magic or Bird (while some of it was racial, some was in the image and way each team presented and portrayed themselves.). Outside of Piston fans everybody wanted to see those dirty Pistons lose, and lose badly. People think fans are split on Lebron, they never saw the way things were with Jordan. Even grandmothers that did not watch sports either loved or hated the guy. He was so well known and so many stories of his personality and leadership style were so well known people couldn't help themselves. The highest rated series of the 00s was the Shaq/Kobe Lakers against the Iverson 76ers, where guys loved the little guard doing everything or the loved the funny Shaq and young Kobe. the 2nd highest was the old man Reggie Miller leading the young Pacers and finally getting to the finals to battle the Lakers dynasty. next highest was the Pistons vs Spurs, which was at the prime of the Spurs hate/ dirty reputation and the no all star team of guys who were less skilled but outworked everybody. Hell the highest rated series of the last decade was the 2016 finals where you had the underdog Warriors who won as a team and were trying to do it again against the Lebron superteam, at the height of the Lebron hate.

Even last year in the bubble the 4 highest rated playoff games prior to the finals were the Nuggets vs Lakers 1st 2 games and Nuggets vs Clippers the last 2 games if I remember correctly. People were turning up to watch this young upstart team that refused to quit against the super team Clippers and Lakers.

This year the ratings have been up, and I think a lot of it is curiosity, all these young teams while the all star teams are already out.

[hoosierdaddy34]

Bucks Nets on Saturday drew a 6.9. Sixers and Hawks on Sunday drew a 6.2.

Final round of the US Open on Sunday drew a 3 year high...with a 5.7

I guess Basketball is back. We can say superteans and social justice and Black Lives Matter didn’t hurt the league as many predicted.

[Curmudgeon]

Covid played a role. The games are less entertaining without crowds. Also people learned they could live without games. Doesn't mean they will never watch games. Its just not a must see anymore.

It also played a role because the easing of restrictions coincided with the NBA playoffs. People spend a year cooped up in their houses watching TV. They want to be out and about.

[Hardenstepback]

No. Casuals and most NBA fans still watch when narratives are at play with multiple superstars on one team

The Warriors were an anomaly. Miami Heat weren’t some unbeatable team and neither is the Nets. Neither were the Celtics big 3, neither were the Lakers big 4 when Malone and Gary Payton joined People really over exaggerate the impact of superteams.

[NBA4Lyfe]

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2023/10/wembanyama-nba-debut-ratings-espn-viewership-mavericks-spurs-celtics-knicks/


LeBrons lowest viewed opening night game since 2008

Even tv networks can see the nba is getting stale, and aren’t as motivated to raise their offer more than they have too. The Disney/espn layoffs was just the beginning

[Rainwater]

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2023/10/wembanyama-nba-debut-ratings-espn-viewership-mavericks-spurs-celtics-knicks/


LeBrons lowest viewed opening night game since 2008

Even tv networks can see the nba is getting stale, and aren’t as motivated to raise their offer more than they have too. The Disney/espn layoffs was just the beginning

This is such a weird post for so many reasons. TNTs Opening night was up against game 7 of the NL championship game which pulled in nearly 9 million viewers. Obviously that had an effect on the NBA. And per the very same article you posted to criticize Ratings and why ESPN won’t give the NBA what they want, you forgot to mention that ESPN had its best opening night ratings since 2018.

If you are going to push an agenda at least don’t provide supporting information that contradicts it

[Goomba3666]

Why should fans care about the regular season if the players don't?

Damn. Yeah. Best mod post I've seen in a while.