Czaban on Finals Ratings

[Bandit2981]

link (http://www.czabe.com/daily/)

NBA Finals Ratings: "Where Are Those People?"

Thought of the moment on the NBA’s ratings crisis (oops, it’s no crisis, because David Stern insists that viewership in Argentina is bonzo!) that just hit me. The NBA Finals ratings are down from a Jordan-led 15.8 in 1998, to a low of around 6.5/7.0 now. That’s roughly a 60% decline in viewers in 7 years. Now here’s what kills me….

Does the NBA have ANY idea WHO those viewers were, WHERE they have gone, and WHY they don’t watch the product anymore? Have you EVER heard Stern mention what he thinks happened, how he plans to win them back, or internal studies on what fans do and do/not want?

No, neither have I.

Oh sure, I’ve heard all the dime-store theories. Games too low scoring. Lack of star power. Increasing primma-donna attitudes by players, late start times, incessant hip-hop cultural cross-promotion, high schoolers not ready to play, insane salaries.
Yada, yada, yada.

Again, I ask the question ANY business would ask that had LOST 60% of their customers in 7 years. Who where they, where did they go, and how do we get the back?

Basic questions, despite the fact that all of Buenos Airies is just GLUED to their sets this summer.

[Spurminator]

Don't know don't care. Let them watch something else.

[Timoha]

I read that the ratings for game 2 were over 10 and that a record number of people are watching it around the world (50 million in China.) And the sales of NBA apparell has increased by 33%. I don't think that Stern is loosing his buisness. The NBAis going global, thanks in large part to the Spurs.

[GoSpurs21]

TV ratings are overrated

[constantstate]

as long as people in detroit and san antonio are watching... and spurs and piston fans around the world... im fine with bad tv ratings.

and no one will want to watch after hearing (TIME AFTER TIME) on ABC, ESPN and TNT that both these teams are in "small markets"... both play "the right way"... both have a "great group of guys"... both play "really good D".

for the average fan that translates to:
small market = no where
play the right way = no stars
great group of guys = no drama
really good D = no scoring

and none of that is true.

i keep thinking somewhere in new york, or los angeles... there must be a team playing basketball the wrong way, that has a crappy group of guys, and never plays any defense... that EVERYONE wants to watch.

oh.

but at least new york has malik now.

[MiNuS]

Too many thuggish players on screen. Sure Tim has a tattoo on his back but sometimes what people don't see won't harm.BUT what they do see is too many
tattoos,cornrolls,overrated players that are selfish.Too much chest thumping and too much show boating.
Is anyone here going to tell me that - Kobe,Iverson,Melo are good for the game.
What would you say if your kid said that he wanted to be Iverson when he grew up,because he saw that "thuggish" commercial on TV.
Lets not confuse the player and the persona. There is too much baggage on these current players and whoever says the old timers didn't help to start this just remember
Majic and his AIDs and Wilt with his "20,000". Sure he scored 100 in one game but the math is ridiculous with that "20,000"women he slept with. They started tainting basketball after they had played.

There is something lost whenever I see those "ESPN CLASSICS" NBA Finals.

[timvp]

Just win.

[MadDog73]

TV ratings have been declining because they're like a zillion channels now. And video games. And DVD's and Home Theaters.

That's why Stern doesn't have to explain a 60% decline. It's not all about the product - we're living in a different time.

And if I was a casual fan who happened to start watching that piece of shit that was the first quarter of the first game, I'd probably stop watching, too.

But I'm not a casual fan, and frankly, I don't think the NBA needs to pimp out more to try and attract casual fans with a pre-game ceremony that lasts 1/2 an hour and includes crap like Will Smith actually telling you to Switch (like switch the channel). Seriously, WTF was ABC thinking with that song?

No, the NBA needs to cut the hype and just bring us basketball.

[Spurminator]

Game over League.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

What kind of ratings are the Superbowl and World Series getting these days? If I knew those numbers then things might be in a bit better perspective.

[nkdlunch]

Too many thuggish players on screen. Sure Tim has a tattoo on his back but sometimes what people don't see won't harm.BUT what they do see is too many
tattoos,cornrolls,overrated players that are selfish.Too much chest thumping and too much show boating.
Is anyone here going to tell me that - Kobe,Iverson,Melo are good for the game.
What would you say if your kid said that he wanted to be Iverson when he grew up,because he saw that "thuggish" commercial on TV.
Lets not confuse the player and the persona. There is too much baggage on these current players and whoever says the old timers didn't help to start this just remember
Majic and his AIDs and Wilt with his "20,000". Sure he scored 100 in one game but the math is ridiculous with that "20,000"women he slept with. They started tainting basketball after they had played.

There is something lost whenever I see those "ESPN CLASSICS" NBA Finals.

WTF!! excuse me Mr perfect. What, you wanna see young perfect white boys playing w/suspenders and shit?
tattos, Magic, Wilt, etc has nothing to do w/the ratings.
Look at this finals, 90% of these players are hard workers and seem like good people. And they play the right way too.

Get out of the house more often, the world is changing around u.

[WayDowntownBang]

WTF!! excuse me Mr perfect. What, you wanna see young perfect white boys playing w/suspenders and shit?


:lmao :lmao :lmao

That's awesome! Classic.

[Spurminator]

http://www.helloelpaso.com/elpaso/images/basketball-1923.jpg

We ballaz, bitches.

[sickdsm]

Sure Tim has a tattoo on his back but sometimes what people don't see won't harm.BUT what they do see is too many
tattoos,cornrolls,overrated players that are selfish.

So tattoos are bad if there visible even though EVERY SINGLE GAME Tim's tattoo is visible on his back?

This was the second worst game 1 ever, the worst being SA/NJ. Ratings of course. Its a problem EVERYONE should be worried about. Your not much of a NBA fan if your not. No money coming in=problems for the league. I'll laugh my ass off if next year is a lockout costing the spurs a chance at defending the title bc if there was more money coming in that would more money to the players and a more likely agreement coming on the next CBA.

IMO, this has alot to do with too many fouls being called, not being called consistantly and most important, effort.

Why is effort, desire, lackluster even words being uttered at all by the announcer?

When do you see NFL, MLB, or NHL players not giving there maximum effort during playoff games?