The NBA Final Ratings Have Been Abysmal – Should the League Worry?
Over the past eighteen months, live sports have repeatedly proven to be the backbone of linear television.
In an ever-changing media environment that has redefined our goals, standards, and judgments regarding television and ratings, sports has been the steady rock that networks can count on.
Even as the exodus to streaming continues, College Football, the NFL, and the WNBA have delivered record ratings. For ESPN, which is gearing up to release its flagship streaming series, the ratings boom has been a godsend.
Photo: Jeffrey Becker/USA TODAYSports/NPSTrans/troppic
Unfortunately, the NBA has not been able to keep pace with the rest of its peers.
A Difficult Season For the NBA
After a season that saw slumping ratings and much discussion about the NBA’s product, this year’s NBA Finals match-up between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers has struggled to gain viewership.
Game 2 of the championship matchup delivered just 8.76 million viewers for ABC. That number is down 29% from last year and was the least-watched Game 2 of the Finals since the Heat-Lakers matchup of 2020.
Photo: ESPN
Notably, the latter game was played in the bubble and took place while President Trump was hospitalized due to COVID.
Going back to 1988, only 2003’s Nets-Spurs series delivered a lower-viewed Game 2.
Small Markets and a Changing Media Environment
When dissecting the latest NBA Finals ratings, there are a couple of important variables to consider.
For starters, this year’s championship is being played between two small-market teams. Without a major market with vested interest, ratings were going to drop.
Photo: Indy Star
Additionally, comparing ratings across decades can be tricky, as the media landscape has radically changed.
When defending the league’s television performance, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver leaned into this excuse.
Photo: CNN
“People compare us to 20 years ago,” Silver said. “But these Games 1 and 2, so far, as the highest-rated programs in May and June, so far, on television. And if something beats us, it will be another sports program. Back 20 years ago, we often didn’t win the night when the Finals were on. But the absolute rating is lower now.”
The Challenge Ahead
On face value, Silver’s assertion is correct. Nearly every television presentation has worse ratings than it did 20 years ago. Still, the NFL, WNBA, and even MLB have managed to consistantly increase viewership over the past couple of years.
The NBA on the other hand, seems to be quickly losing ground. While defending his product, Silver also correctly identified the challenges the NBA faced.
Photo: Time
“In some ways, I couldn’t be happier. I mean, we’re dominating in these cities, we’re dominating relative to other programming. But ultimately the goal is to get more people to watch. That’s what makes it a bigger event. So we have to be innovative and find new ways — podcasts, social media, direct-to-consumer marketing, new digital platforms that we’re moving to next year. ESPN and ABC are doing the same. It’s a changed society.”
While it is fair to say that the NBA would likely not be having ratings problem if the Knicks were playing the Lakers in the NBA Finals, that does not excuse the larger viewership drop that the league has seen this year.
Photo: ESPN
Having just signed new multi-billion television deals with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime, the league is going to have to take a hard look in the mirror and figure out where they consumers have gone.
