NBA destroyed the NFL on Christmas

[Homer38]

Yeah, not gonna be a fair comparison. It's the NFL and then the other leagues.

Wow, baseball is doing a lot better than I thought! They've done a great job with all the rule changes to make the game more viewer friendly. NBA needs to take notes.

10 years ago, MLB was making double the revenue the NBA. The NBA closed the gap.

So the commissioner of the baseball must be awful!

[DOT]

NFL has had better ratings than all American sports for a while now. There's just a bunch of weirdos that post about how the NBA is bad and unwatchable without even watching games to know if it's good or not.

The problem is, it's not just them, it's national media

I know we love Inside the NBA, but them and ESPN have done a ton of damage to public perception of the product because all it is is old dudes complaining about how bad it is now and how players suck and have no skill, "accidental basketball", all that

Plus the NBA itself has done a poor job of marketing the up-and-coming stars, like SGA was 2nd in MVP voting last year and is leading one of the best teams in the league but you never hear anything about him, the NBA doesn't hype him up. And this is how I know the guys complaining about players taking too many 3s don't actually watch the game, cause if they did they would be constantly talking about him due to him having an incredibly balanced shot profile. I think Jalen Brunson takes a lot of mids, but SGA takes way more. You would think he would be beloved by the "90s were better" guys, but I don't think they even know he exists

When you watch ESPN and all you hear about is the Lakers and the only players they talk about are LeBron, KD, and Steph and how they're old and not as good as they used to be, or you watch Inside and it's just Shaq and Chuck complaining about how big men are soft for shooting 3s, if you're a casual fan you're gonna get turned off by that

NFL is also just always gonna draw more eyes to individual games because there's 1 NFL game for every 5 NBA games. It's just supply and demand. Plus their national media guys aren't constantly talking about how bad the product is and how no one should watch it.

[SirCharles3434]

lol

Read on Twitter

OP, how did the NBA destroyed the NFL?

[Rainwater]

lol

Read on Twitter

You really can’t compare NFL ratings to NBA ratings. Again, it’s like comparing apples and oranges.

[UglyBugBall]

the NFL games really sucked

but it's not like the NBA had some slam dunk games either. Particularly that Minn vs. Dallas game where Minny took a massive lead. Luka had already gotten injured. Then Minnesota just gave up to almost have Dallas comeback. That isn't a good game. Minny then does the bare minimum to hold on and win. The Philly vs. Boston surprise win was a nice touch, but PG13 was atrocious, I mean EMBARASSING. I don't think either team played particularly well. As for GSW vs. LA, look it's nice to see Curry and Bron duel it out, but at this stage we know that both teams are mid tier west teams and have a bunch of nonsense role players, particularly the Lakers. It was kind of a moral victory of "well cool LeBron and Curry can still carry the league" but I was sorely missing some of the new blood.

I mean truthfully the NBA should have given us a primetime matchup between two players in their primes. I have no idea why the matchup wasn't Giannis vs. Jokic at 8pm. Instead it's kind of a "hold onto relevancy" type of situation. With the old guys doing the heavy lifting still which is still a little short sighted from Silver.

Anyways, next year I expect to see OKC and Memphis on Christmas 100%. I expect to see OKC play San Antonio. Memphis could play Houston or they could play an eastern contending team.

Jokics playstyle is effective but very boring, so it wouldn't be a good prime time game. Giannis vs Shai could work as they are both higher usage players that would be entertaining to watch

Lol at Jokic being boring.

He's a low usage player that doesn't hold the ball long, and isn't heavy in ISO. He's just as great, but he's certainly one of the least entertaining stars we've ever had. Just think about Luka, Lebron, Giannis, Kobe etc.

[Snotbubbles]

Yeah, not gonna be a fair comparison. It's the NFL and then the other leagues.

Spoiler:

Wow, baseball is doing a lot better than I thought! They've done a great job with all the rule changes to make the game more viewer friendly. NBA needs to take notes.

Maybe fan friendly would be the better term than viewer. You can see in the breakdown the MLB makes a larger share of its revenue from ticket sales than National TV while the NBA has the inverse.

The rule changes are good for TV viewers because the game moves at a faster pace. But to the guy who actually goes to the game, it moves so fast that you can't get out of your seat to go to concessions or you might miss a couple innings. The last game I went to, I barely got two beers down before they stopped serving in the 7th.

[JayMKE]

NFL has had better ratings than all American sports for a while now. There's just a bunch of weirdos that post about how the NBA is bad and unwatchable without even watching games to know if it's good or not.

The problem is, it's not just them, it's national media

I know we love Inside the NBA, but them and ESPN have done a ton of damage to public perception of the product because all it is is old dudes complaining about how bad it is now and how players suck and have no skill, "accidental basketball", all that

Plus the NBA itself has done a poor job of marketing the up-and-coming stars, like SGA was 2nd in MVP voting last year and is leading one of the best teams in the league but you never hear anything about him, the NBA doesn't hype him up. And this is how I know the guys complaining about players taking too many 3s don't actually watch the game, cause if they did they would be constantly talking about him due to him having an incredibly balanced shot profile. I think Jalen Brunson takes a lot of mids, but SGA takes way more. You would think he would be beloved by the "90s were better" guys, but I don't think they even know he exists

When you watch ESPN and all you hear about is the Lakers and the only players they talk about are LeBron, KD, and Steph and how they're old and not as good as they used to be, or you watch Inside and it's just Shaq and Chuck complaining about how big men are soft for shooting 3s, if you're a casual fan you're gonna get turned off by that

NFL is also just always gonna draw more eyes to individual games because there's 1 NFL game for every 5 NBA games. It's just supply and demand. Plus their national media guys aren't constantly talking about how bad the product is and how no one should watch it.

Maybe Silver should fix the game and restore it to what it once was? The narrative about the quality of play isn’t just a media invention and can’t be blamed on such, the game has changed and not every body is happy or think it’s better. I don’t understand the status quo defenders, the NBA radically changing its rules to get this point apparently is the end of history?

[52-12-7]

lol

Read on Twitter

OP, how did the NBA destroyed the NFL?

I guess OP doesn't know what destroyed means

[Clemenza]

I just don’t like how people compare the NFL to other sports. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. The NFL has many advantages compared to other sports in terms of ratings. It’s typically played on weekends, particularly Sundays, when everyone is home. They play very few games, so you can’t afford to miss a game. Missing 1 game is like missing 5 NBA games. You miss one NBA game, there might be one the next night. And for many parts of this country Football is life. You really can’t say that for the other sports honestly. I moved from the northeast to the south and football is part of their culture down here. There are towns in Mississippi and Bama that will shut down their city for football. So comparing football and basketball ratings is not quite fair in my eyes.

Exactly, football & the NFL is a religion in America. Especially in the South and Midwest. Another awful NFL game last night with the Bears vs Seahawks, some on Twitter even saying it's one of the worst of all time. But that's still 20 million viewers no matter what right? Even if you got it on in the background while you're doing something else, the TV more than likely will be on football.

This is also low key a reason why the NBA favors big markets. The NBA is bigger than the NFL on the West Coast. We still watch it of course, SoFi Stadium is packed and the Niners have a huge followng, but the NBA season is everything out here. If it was football first then the Rams never leave for Saint Louis, the Raiders don't move to Las Vegas, and the Pac 12 doesn't disband and it's schools move to Midwest & Southern conferences. I'm sure the Knicks are just as big as the Jets & Giants. The Bulls & Bears should be on even footing I assume.

[Clemenza]

why do casual fans care so much about sports viewership? do you guys own a percentage of these leagues or something? who cares watch what you want to watch its that simple.

It's quasi-political... Americans are obsessed with class and race. The NBA represents the more "urban" demographic.

Plus the NFL players wear helmets and a ton of padding which helps cover their identity and make it more about the team. Outside of a few stars that everyone knows, the majority of the players are unknowns and replaceable guys, especially once the injuries start kicking by week 6 or 7 and beyond. The helmets help the league ten fold for fans who game a problem with race or anything of that matter. That's why Kaepernick's kneeling during the anthem was a massive blow and disruptor to the league and excessive celebrations leads to penalties. There's no hiding under pads & helmets for the NBA. Whatever happens, happens, and it's on full display for all to see.

[Clemenza]

NFL has had better ratings than all American sports for a while now. There's just a bunch of weirdos that post about how the NBA is bad and unwatchable without even watching games to know if it's good or not.

The problem is, it's not just them, it's national media

I know we love Inside the NBA, but them and ESPN have done a ton of damage to public perception of the product because all it is is old dudes complaining about how bad it is now and how players suck and have no skill, "accidental basketball", all that

Plus the NBA itself has done a poor job of marketing the up-and-coming stars, like SGA was 2nd in MVP voting last year and is leading one of the best teams in the league but you never hear anything about him, the NBA doesn't hype him up. And this is how I know the guys complaining about players taking too many 3s don't actually watch the game, cause if they did they would be constantly talking about him due to him having an incredibly balanced shot profile. I think Jalen Brunson takes a lot of mids, but SGA takes way more. You would think he would be beloved by the "90s were better" guys, but I don't think they even know he exists

When you watch ESPN and all you hear about is the Lakers and the only players they talk about are LeBron, KD, and Steph and how they're old and not as good as they used to be, or you watch Inside and it's just Shaq and Chuck complaining about how big men are soft for shooting 3s, if you're a casual fan you're gonna get turned off by that

NFL is also just always gonna draw more eyes to individual games because there's 1 NFL game for every 5 NBA games. It's just supply and demand. Plus their national media guys aren't constantly talking about how bad the product is and how no one should watch it.

Maybe Silver should fix the game and restore it to what it once was? The narrative about the quality of play isn’t just a media invention and can’t be blamed on such, the game has changed and not every body is happy or think it’s better. I don’t understand the status quo defenders, the NBA radically changing its rules to get this point apparently is the end of history?

I think the first order of business for Silver is too put his foot down, stop being a b*tch, and get his broadcast partners, ESPN and TNT, to stop ripping the game and it's players 24/7/365. Having the "legends" constantly rip the product has opened up the floodgates for all to join in on the fun and make it a thing to rip the league even if they don't watch the games at all. Of course there needs to be less three point attempts and load management, but Barkley, Shaq, SAS, etc. are making things significantly worse. Goodell & the NFL doesn't allow its broadcast partners to rip the game on a 24 hour loop like Silver and NBA does. But unfortunately the NBA just reuped with ESPN and saved TNT's Inside The NBA so it'll be more of the same bullsh*t and negative reporting for years to come.

[Rainwater]

I just don’t like how people compare the NFL to other sports. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. The NFL has many advantages compared to other sports in terms of ratings. It’s typically played on weekends, particularly Sundays, when everyone is home. They play very few games, so you can’t afford to miss a game. Missing 1 game is like missing 5 NBA games. You miss one NBA game, there might be one the next night. And for many parts of this country Football is life. You really can’t say that for the other sports honestly. I moved from the northeast to the south and football is part of their culture down here. There are towns in Mississippi and Bama that will shut down their city for football. So comparing football and basketball ratings is not quite fair in my eyes.

Exactly, football & the NFL is a religion in America. Especially in the South and Midwest. Another awful NFL game last night with the Bears vs Seahawks, some on Twitter even saying it's one of the worst of all time. But that's still 20 million viewers no matter what right? Even if you got it on in the background while you're doing something else, the TV more than likely will be on football.

This is also low key a reason why the NBA favors big markets. The NBA is bigger than the NFL on the West Coast. We still watch it of course, SoFi Stadium is packed and the Niners have a huge followng, but the NBA season is everything out here. If it was football first then the Rams never leave for Saint Louis, the Raiders don't move to Las Vegas, and the Pac 12 doesn't disband and it's schools move to Midwest & Southern conferences. I'm sure the Knicks are just as big as the Jets & Giants. The Bulls & Bears should be on even footing I assume.

I completely agree with this post. When viewing ratings there must be some context and nuance. A 4.6 million viewership night might be a great night for the NBA while a 20 million viewership night might be terrible for the NFL. You would have to look at their avg to get a fair understanding. But to compare the NBA and the NFL straight up viewership is kinda lazy and simplistic. Doing a year by year analysis is probably best.

[Rainwater]

The problem is, it's not just them, it's national media

I know we love Inside the NBA, but them and ESPN have done a ton of damage to public perception of the product because all it is is old dudes complaining about how bad it is now and how players suck and have no skill, "accidental basketball", all that

Plus the NBA itself has done a poor job of marketing the up-and-coming stars, like SGA was 2nd in MVP voting last year and is leading one of the best teams in the league but you never hear anything about him, the NBA doesn't hype him up. And this is how I know the guys complaining about players taking too many 3s don't actually watch the game, cause if they did they would be constantly talking about him due to him having an incredibly balanced shot profile. I think Jalen Brunson takes a lot of mids, but SGA takes way more. You would think he would be beloved by the "90s were better" guys, but I don't think they even know he exists

When you watch ESPN and all you hear about is the Lakers and the only players they talk about are LeBron, KD, and Steph and how they're old and not as good as they used to be, or you watch Inside and it's just Shaq and Chuck complaining about how big men are soft for shooting 3s, if you're a casual fan you're gonna get turned off by that

NFL is also just always gonna draw more eyes to individual games because there's 1 NFL game for every 5 NBA games. It's just supply and demand. Plus their national media guys aren't constantly talking about how bad the product is and how no one should watch it.

Maybe Silver should fix the game and restore it to what it once was? The narrative about the quality of play isn’t just a media invention and can’t be blamed on such, the game has changed and not every body is happy or think it’s better. I don’t understand the status quo defenders, the NBA radically changing its rules to get this point apparently is the end of history?

I think the first order of business for Silver is too put his foot down, stop being a b*tch, and get his broadcast partners, ESPN and TNT, to stop ripping the game and it's players 24/7/365. Having the "legends" constantly rip the product has opened up the floodgates for all to join in on the fun and make it a thing to rip the league even if they don't watch the games at all. Of course there needs to be less three point attempts and load management, but Barkley, Shaq, SAS, etc. are making things significantly worse. Goodell & the NFL doesn't allow its broadcast partners to rip the game on a 24 hour loop like Silver and NBA does. But unfortunately the NBA just reuped with ESPN and saved TNT's Inside The NBA so it'll be more of the same bullsh*t and negative reporting for years to come.

I disagree with this I feel like every sport has their complainers. Be it with football who think the league is now soft, it’s too pass oriented, you can’t hit the quarterback, the running game is gone, the game is no longer pure. MLB with the game is too slow, it’s too analytical, they hit for home runs rather than contact. To say the complaining only happens in the NBA would be a lie. I remember Kevin hart did a whole skit about how you can’t hit the QB in one of the pregames.

[G35]

Maybe NFL does better than NBA in the USA but the NBA is absolutely destroying NFL internationally.

NBA also destroys with the younger generation and it shows through commentary on social media platforms.

This is the same old narrative from "the NBA is just fine with international/young people" crowd. So what if young people comment about the NBA on social media? Do you know how many reaction channels there are on YouTube, its a whole industry. Where people go to watch other people comment on a show or movie. People don't even watch the full movies or TV shows anymore, its more entertaining to hear content creators reactions.

Also, isn't the narrative that the young people aren't following in the footsteps of the previous generations? The previous generations were invested in sports like the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL. Now, my son doesn't even watch TV, much less sports on TV. I'm still watching 8 hours of NFL red zone every Sunday. I don't think young people are interested in watching live TV for 3 hours.

They'll comment on the game on TikTok, or X or YT but actually being basketball nerds like on RGM, nah I don't think young people are that invested the game like the older generations.....

[Tor_Raps]

Now let's do the ratings worldwide with NFL vs NBA. Majority of the world doesnt give 2 craps about the NFL lol.

[Me Like Lakers]

Now let's do the ratings worldwide with NFL vs NBA. Majority of the world doesnt give 2 craps about the NFL lol.

I'm not sure if it's only in my perception or my circle of friends, but even being a NBA fan, I find it way easier to find people that follow NFL over here in Brazil than NBA followers

[RRyder823]

Now let's do the ratings worldwide with NFL vs NBA. Majority of the world doesnt give 2 craps about the NFL lol.

This continues to be such head in the sand argument but one that keeps being repeated

The NBA is only a bigger league than the NFL worldwide if you don't consider the US to be a part of "the world".

Yes the NBA has more fans overseas. No the NBA does not have more total fans and it isn't particularly close



Sent from my SM-S918U using RealGM mobile app

[Hellcrooner]

https://www.statista.com/statistics/240386/twitter-followers-of-national-basketball-association-teams/



https://www.statista.com/statistics/240036/twitter-followers-of-national-football-league-teams/



lakers alone have a following bigger than the top 3 nfl teams.............

[SOUL]

Maybe Silver should fix the game and restore it to what it once was? The narrative about the quality of play isn’t just a media invention and can’t be blamed on such, the game has changed and not every body is happy or think it’s better. I don’t understand the status quo defenders, the NBA radically changing its rules to get this point apparently is the end of history?

Football is a contact sport with less games, it's an easy draw.

There is nostalgia-tinted glasses for everything nowadays. Music, movies, shows, sports. We can literally look on RealGM and see people complaining about the NBA product 10-15 years ago... it doesn't fool me. People were complaining about tanking just a few years ago and now people are saying parity is ruining the league because there's no super teams anymore, thus ratings are sucking and it's boring. Are we acting like people AREN'T complaining daily about the NFL being too soft with roughing the passer and tackling rules, players saying the game has changed since they played, too many injuries, QBs/passing benefiting too much? It literally rendered the RB role useless for a while and made contracts so uneven that you were being replaced the minute you turned 27 because it's cheaper to draft someone in the 5th round.

Hell, you had two players LEAVE and quit on their teammates in the middle of games in the last 4 years.

Sounds awfully like the same complaints NBA fans have but dressed up differently.

[Ben-N1ce]

I'm sure soon the NBA cup will get better ratings than March Madness.