2019-20: NBA Ratings Down 23% On TNT, 20% On ESPN

[FrostKing]

https://i.ibb.co/Tv4Trk6/Screenshot-2019-12-03-10-22-12-1.png


By the numbers: Through Nov. 22, games were averaging 1.45 million viewers across ESPN and TNT, down 18% from the same point last year (1.75 million).

Potential reasons:

On-court stuff: Load management has soured fans on the relative unimportance of the regular season (the NBA denies that it's an issue, citing that no player has missed a national TV game this year due to load management or rest); Kevin Durant and Zion Williamson are injured; the Warriors' dynasty is dead; LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard play on the West Coast.
Fandom shift: As much fun as the free agency madness has been in recent years, it may have hurt the NBA ratings-wise by turning fans' attention away from basketball and winning and towards rumors and off-court drama.
Cord-cutting: "Ratings are down because all of our national broadcasts are exclusively available on cable, which is losing subs daily," tweeted Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. "Football benefits from being on broadcast TV, which is in every digital and traditional package."
The NBA's response:

Schedule changes: To spark fan interest, the NBA and the players' union are in "serious talks" about adding (1) a midseason tournament similar to those used in European soccer and (2) a play-in tournament for the final two playoff spots in each conference.
YouTube crackdown: The league has cracked down on YouTube creators for using unlicensed videos, a move that threatens the quasi-legal world of NBA highlight channels.
Worth noting: The NBA has been considering scheduling changes and cracked down on YouTube accounts for several years, so those aren't necessarily knee-jerk reactions to the ratings decline.

[Arcadian]

<shrug> Casuals are hard to predict.

[Laker_1995]

Who wants to watch teams shoot 45 threes a game. Shits the same as LA Fitness

[apalisoc_9]

cable cutters
Load Management
James Harden

loads of reason why People are disinterested.

[DC23]

Load management and quite frankly people are getting tired of seeing these guys make the type of money they do. I think that has something to do with it too.

[Chris Fall]

Even if the league was early to mid 90s basketball with dominant post scoring, halfcourt execution, fewer chuckfests, and hard fouls with no abundance of pussy flagrant shit every game, the NBA was bound to take a dip in interest league wide in the regular season. American cultural evolution. Kids got way more interesting shit to do than to sit down and watch 3-4+ NBA games a week in their entirety. Same with baseball and hockey. Kids gotta work on perfecting those Fortnite dances, don’t they? And if it weren’t for the far fewer games and fantasy football, I’d say the same about the NFL. In fact I wouldn’t be shocked that at some point Monday night and Thursday night NFL loses a lot of interest too.

Fans care about the post season and really huge national marquee match-ups. Certainly not for example a Wizards-Kings game on a Thursday night in December.

That’s one thing you can say about Soccer worldwide. For the most part, they should always have high interest, especially in live attendance. There ain’t shit else to live for in those bunk ass third world countries. Go shoot 1970 American rifles at sandstones or watch a soccer game? Have sex with your wife to have your 14th starving kid or go root for your Querkekistan Hijabs and throw firecrackers at your centuries old religious rivals at your broken down stadium made of sticks and glue? Yes! Futbol! Futbol! Futbol!

[UZER]

More kids played outside back in the day, and whether they sucked or not, they dreamed being their sports hero. So many kids these days don’t even go outside. Also, the guys of yesterday were more mythic because you only saw them on tv once in awhile and didn’t know everything little thing about them because of social media. They follow these guys and don’t even need to watch the games.

[Clipper Nation]

The Frauden Effect

[Benoit]

cable cutters
Load Management
James Harden

loads of reason why People are disinterested.

:lol blaming Harden when Houston is one of their top 2 biggest TV draws

[lefty]

:lol today’s NBA

Plus it’s easy to catch highlights the same night on YouTube : Freedawkins, MLG Highlights, Ximo Pierto

[TDMVPDPOY]

i think the nba needs to move the 3pt line back further...too many fkn morons chucking 3s

[ambchang]

The nba just isn’t a very good product overall:
1) little variation in styles of play
2) overly simple where coaching hardly matters anymore as offensive talent is the only key to winning
3) no rivalries
4) no belonging. Who’s the superstar who’s still playing with the team that drafted him? Doncic, and that’s because he’s a second year player. Others line lillard and wall are either walking injuries or can’t carry his team

On top of that, the nba has to compete with a huge amount of other entertainment options. Kids can look up things online, gaming, chatting with friends on the phone, YouTube videos, tinder, all kinds of stuff that just weren’t available 10 years ago.

The nba alienated old fans by being more and more gimmicky, while doesn’t have the entertainment value in drawing the new fans in.

I mean, who plays outdoors basketball anymore? Kids are busy doing other things and nba is just far down the list.

[R. DeMurre]

Who cares what casual fans think? The NBA has the best parity in decades, which should make people happy, but no! The same people who complained about the dominance of the Warriors are now complaining that the Warriors aren't around. If you have thousands of posts on a basketball website and you're constantly posting that basketball sucks, well... have fun with that.

[R. DeMurre]

https://www.vulture.com/2017/05/tv-ratings-are-way-down-but-does-it-even-matter.html

https://tvline.com/2019/10/15/tv-ratings-down-ad-revenue-up/

https://adage.com/article/media/tv-c3-ratings-drop-blame-millennials/315626

[illusioNtEk]

I think it has something to do with Time Zone.... The best SuperStars are on the West so people in the East need to stay up late in order to watch.... In New York games start as late as midnight, or 1230 in the morning.

[FrostKing]

MLB had and currently NFL is enjoying a strong season. NFL is experiencing a ratings resurgence.

[FrostKing]

Who cares what casual fans think? The NBA has the best parity in decades, which should make people happy, but no! The same people who complained about the dominance of the Warriors are now complaining that the Warriors aren't around. If you have thousands of posts on a basketball website and you're constantly posting that basketball sucks, well... have fun with that.
I am not sure parity is good when as Armchang explained - the product and teams are identity-less. Parity should spur on rivalries but it doesn't seem to be.

I think the League is too player focused especially when combined with all the player movement. It makes the franchises and cities obsolete. History and traditions are still important to the average fans. The current product is bordering on XFL

[SpurSpike]

The fake Warriors fans stopped watching.

[Kobe'sAchilles]

No more real bad blood rivalries. I used to love watching Knicks vs Heat or Pacers or Bulls just bc of all the bad blood.

But in reality it's 100% the PLAYERS fault. Here's a list of ever star who has said regular season games aren't important: Curry, Lebron, Harden, Westbrook, Durant, Green, Kawhi, George, Kyrie, etc. Basically every top star in the league. After every loss (or Load Management) that is their go to excuse. Long season, one game doesn't mean anything. Playoffs are where it counts. It's extremely stupid marketing by the players.

[Clipper Nation]

The fake Warriors fans stopped watching.
No they didn't. They went back to being Laker "fans" again.

[Clipper Nation]

No more real bad blood rivalries. I used to love watching Knicks vs Heat or Pacers or Bulls just bc of all the bad blood.

But in reality it's 100% the PLAYERS fault. Here's a list of ever star who has said regular season games aren't important: Curry, Lebron, Harden, Westbrook, Durant, Green, Kawhi, George, Kyrie, etc. Basically every top star in the league. After every loss (or Load Management) that is their go to excuse. Long season, one game doesn't mean anything. Playoffs are where it counts. It's extremely stupid marketing by the players.
Actually, it starts with the fans and the media. Players are just responding to the narrative that playoffs and rings are the only thing that matters. You can't reduce a player's whole legacy to just a few games in April, May and June and then expect them to care about meaningless games in November and December.

As far as responses to that narrative go, I'll gladly take load management over the cowardly move that Durbeta made any day of the week.

[apalisoc_9]

:lol blaming Harden when Houston is one of their top 2 biggest TV draws

Everyone hates Houston. Ofcrosue its a draw in houston...but its definitely not for non houston fans

[apalisoc_9]

The Frauden Effect

Bascially this.

[Kobe'sAchilles]

Actually, it starts with the fans and the media. Players are just responding to the narrative that playoffs and rings are the only thing that matters. You can't reduce a player's whole legacy to just a few games in April, May and June and then expect them to care about meaningless games in November and December.

As far as responses to that narrative go, I'll gladly take load management over the cowardly move that Durbeta made any day of the week.

What a loser response. That media narrative has been around forever and you didn't see players come out and say that their job was meaningless. All the top stars of today come out and say that regular season doesn't matter. I don't remember the majority of top stars saying that in the 90s or the early 2000s

[UZER]

What a loser response. That media narrative has been around forever and you didn't see players come out and say that their job was meaningless. All the top stars of today come out and say that regular season doesn't matter. I don't remember the majority of top stars saying that in the 90s or the early 2000s

But back in the day, there wasn’t a 24/7 social media cycle where a clip of someone talking about a certain player not having rings got retweeted 50k times, and then memes are made out of it. Back in the day, if you missed the tv or radio show, you missed the comment and that was that.

Nowadays, a homie from the hood can have a shit talking take about player X on social media and every will know about it. Hell nowadays they can talk shit directly to the player every day.

[Kobe'sAchilles]

But back in the day, there wasn’t a 24/7 social media cycle where a clip of someone talking about a certain player not having rings got retweeted 50k times, and then memes are made out of it. Back in the day, if you missed the tv or radio show, you missed the comment and that was that.

Nowadays, a homie from the hood can have a shit talking take about player X on social media and every will know about it. Hell nowadays they can talk shit directly to the player every day.

Well ratings are down 20% so that is only about 1.3 million people overall. Not that much compared to the hate Kim Kardashian gets who btw markets better than NBA players do. Michael Jackson dyed his skin and got 5 nose jobs because of pressure and scrutiny, but he didn't say his concerts were meaningless. Hell Britney Spears shaved her head in like 2007 bc of the pressure (and she was waaaay more famous than James Harden) and she doesn't say her bad singles are not important. There has always been pressure and scrutiny. It comes with the game.

I'm not saying that every star cared back in the day or that players didn't mail it in just to collect that check (looking at you Jim Jackson), but the TOP stars didn't come out and say it. Barkley, Ewing, Malone, all had to deal with the toughness of not getting a ring. Bird, Magic, and Jordan cared deeply about the regular season or atleast faked like they did. That's all I'm asking tbh, just pretend to care.It's BAD BUSINESS sense to repeatedly say that your product doesn't matter.

Also if you constantly say that the regular season is meaningless unless you win a ring (like Harden) then you're basically saying that you're irrelevant.

[UZER]

Well ratings are down 20% so that is only about 1.3 million people overall. Not that much compared to the hate Kim Kardashian gets who btw markets better than NBA players do. Michael Jackson dyed his skin and got 5 nose jobs because of pressure and scrutiny, but he didn't say his concerts were meaningless. Hell Britney Spears shaved her head in like 2007 bc of the pressure (and she was waaaay more famous than James Harden) and she doesn't say her bad singles are not important. There has always been pressure and scrutiny. It comes with the game.

I'm not saying that every star cared back in the day or that players didn't mail it in just to collect that check (looking at you Jim Jackson), but the TOP stars didn't come out and say it. Barkley, Ewing, Malone, all had to deal with the toughness of not getting a ring. Bird, Magic, and Jordan cared deeply about the regular season or atleast faked like they did. That's all I'm asking tbh, just pretend to care.It's BAD BUSINESS sense to repeatedly say that your product doesn't matter.

Also if you constantly say that the regular season is meaningless unless you win a ring (like Harden) then you're basically saying that you're irrelevant.

I don’t disagree with anything you said here. I don’t think the regular season is meaningless less either. I was more referring to guys hearing the ring less chatter and then teaming up, which leads to less team rivalries, less individual rivalries etc, which then leads to fewer people caring overall. Just kinda a snowball affect.

[gospursgojas]

Sounds like they are blaming everything else but the product. NBA has become a soft af league of three point chucking, flops, and free throw parades.

[Millennial_Messiah]

Sounds like they are blaming everything else but the product. NBA has become a soft af league of three point chucking, flops, and free throw parades.
and mercenary faggotry. and the mercenary shit isn't just for the money, it's for show and taking the easy way out these days.

[baseline bum]

Probably cord cutting mostly. God bless the millennials for telling the cable monopolies to go fuck themselves.

[ambchang]

Us knowing everything about the players doesn’t help either.

In the past, the Shaqs Jordan’s bird’s and magics are like mythical creatures that are demigods. Now, we know too much about the players and that veil of invincibility is torn away.

Jordan’s shit personality won’t make him a marketing darling in today’s world. Nor will magics crazy partying life.

Now we have these players who openly support genocides (Jordan supporting child labour was brushed aside because the general public isn’t overly aware of social issues), have issues with whores (Ewing and the good club didn’t make it to the news until way past his prime), is a snake (again Jordan and his bullying antics came out way after he retired),

[baseline bum]

(again Jordan and his bullying antics came out way after he retired),

Did you not read The Jordan Rules back in 1992?

[lefty]

Us knowing everything about the players doesn’t help either.

In the past, the Shaqs Jordan’s bird’s and magics are like mythical creatures that are demigods. Now, we know too much about the players and that veil of invincibility is torn away.

Jordan’s shit personality won’t make him a marketing darling in today’s world. Nor will magics crazy partying life.

Now we have these players who openly support genocides (Jordan supporting child labour was brushed aside because the general public isn’t overly aware of social issues), have issues with whores (Ewing and the good club didn’t make it to the news until way past his prime), is a snake (again Jordan and his bullying antics came out way after he retired),

Those guys were also actually fun to watch

[TDMVPDPOY]

well since they block those illegal streaming sites, those ppl probably gave up watching full games, and just watch them 10min highlight game reviews on yt

yt needs to start streaming games service

[ambchang]

Did you not read The Jordan Rules back in 1992?

Was that 92? Shoot I thought that came out later.

But still people don’t read books. Twitter feeds are much easier to read.

[Chucho]

Probably cord cutting mostly. God bless the millennials for telling the cable monopolies to go fuck themselves.

Yeah, that's kind of a myth. Cord-cutting is a wash. Cable "dying" is just giving way to giant streaming monopolies, which will make wanting to watch your favorite shows more difficult if you need X amount of apps to watch X amount of shows, which means the savings of $X might not be worth it.

Also, at the end of the day, cable companies are still going to be the cornerstone of all streaming...they are still the massive ISP monopolies. And as they lose revenue with programming, you know it'll recoup some of that with increased internet costs.

I don't think it's that big of a win.

[Spurtacular]

Load management and quite frankly people are getting tired of seeing these guys make the type of money they do. I think that has something to do with it too.

It's getting ridiculous that any scrub has to be paid millions now. I don't know about TV; but it keeps me away from attending games at times b/c I frankly don't want to support that.

[FrostKing]

It's getting ridiculous that any scrub has to be paid millions now. I don't know about TV; but it keeps me away from attending games at times b/c I frankly don't want to support that.
NBA players especially, look down on the fans

[baseline bum]

Yeah, that's kind of a myth. Cord-cutting is a wash. Cable "dying" is just giving way to giant streaming monopolies, which will make wanting to watch your favorite shows more difficult if you need X amount of apps to watch X amount of shows, which means the savings of $X might not be worth it.

Also, at the end of the day, cable companies are still going to be the cornerstone of all streaming...they are still the massive ISP monopolies. And as they lose revenue with programming, you know it'll recoup some of that with increased internet costs.

I don't think it's that big of a win.

Even if it cost the same (and it doesn't right now), it's better just for not having commercials.

[Chucho]

Even if it cost the same (and it doesn't right now), it's better just for not having commercials.

Fully agree. I cut the cord 3 years ago. I pay extra to have no ads on Hulu and YouTube. Can not stand adverts, just another reason I cant sit thru a football game live.

[TimDunkem]

We're talking about ESPN and TNT here, and all they show are teams like the the injured Pelicans, Frauden and the Rockets, and teams that load manage their stars. No one wants to watch that and especially so when you need cable to do it.

[lefty]

Fully agree. I cut the cord 3 years ago. I pay extra to have no ads on Hulu and YouTube. Can not stand adverts, just another reason I cant sit thru a football game live.
Ads on YT are fucking annoying
Plus with YT premium you also have music

And omg fuck nfl broadcasts, ads with football breaks

[Double-Up]

Even if the league was early to mid 90s basketball with dominant post scoring, halfcourt execution, fewer chuckfests, and hard fouls with no abundance of pussy flagrant shit every game, the NBA was bound to take a dip in interest league wide in the regular season. American cultural evolution. Kids got way more interesting shit to do than to sit down and watch 3-4+ NBA games a week in their entirety. Same with baseball and hockey. Kids gotta work on perfecting those Fortnite dances, don’t they? And if it weren’t for the far fewer games and fantasy football, I’d say the same about the NFL. In fact I wouldn’t be shocked that at some point Monday night and Thursday night NFL loses a lot of interest too.

Fans care about the post season and really huge national marquee match-ups. Certainly not for example a Wizards-Kings game on a Thursday night in December.

That’s one thing you can say about Soccer worldwide. For the most part, they should always have high interest, especially in live attendance. There ain’t shit else to live for in those bunk ass third world countries. Go shoot 1970 American rifles at sandstones or watch a soccer game? Have sex with your wife to have your 14th starving kid or go root for your Querkekistan Hijabs and throw firecrackers at your centuries old religious rivals at your broken down stadium made of sticks and glue? Yes! Futbol! Futbol! Futbol!

Nigga...:lol

[Spurtacular]

Look at those shitty match-ups last night. Easily could've had one of Nuggets @ Celtics and LAC @ Mil from tonight.

[Raven]

Sounds like they are blaming everything else but the product. NBA has become a soft af league of three point chucking, flops, and free throw parades.
indeed. Also the general quality of the players has fallen off a cliff.

[lmbebo]

I've stopped watching for the most part since Kawhi quit on the team. Had been losing interest in the NBA over time before that. the player movement has taken a lot of the product for me personally. I don't like a league where all the elite talent is coastal in a few teams. No interest in it. Seeing the same teams in the playoffs over the past 4-5 years also sucked. GSW vs Cleveland... meh

[DMC]

KD out, Steph out, Klay out, Nephew playing starting pitcher rotation, No OKC, Houston is a cartoon, Spurs games full of fans wearing jerseys of no one on the floor, Boston is a known quantity, East is a joke, MVPs for the past two or three years are gimmicky RS heroballers..

It's become too obvious to too many that the NBA intentionally builds for narrative, and that they were going to force a Boston/LA Finals rivalry again no matter how ludicrous the path, or how much tampering had to happen.

But it's mostly because fans are douchebags who suck off players and know fuck all about the game, and the players are injured.

I mean, novel concept... I take all the best people in the NBA and put them on two teams, and wow, they win.

[DMC]

Even if the league was early to mid 90s basketball with dominant post scoring, halfcourt execution, fewer chuckfests, and hard fouls with no abundance of pussy flagrant shit every game, the NBA was bound to take a dip in interest league wide in the regular season. American cultural evolution. Kids got way more interesting shit to do than to sit down and watch 3-4+ NBA games a week in their entirety. Same with baseball and hockey. Kids gotta work on perfecting those Fortnite dances, don’t they? And if it weren’t for the far fewer games and fantasy football, I’d say the same about the NFL. In fact I wouldn’t be shocked that at some point Monday night and Thursday night NFL loses a lot of interest too.

Fans care about the post season and really huge national marquee match-ups. Certainly not for example a Wizards-Kings game on a Thursday night in December.

That’s one thing you can say about Soccer worldwide. For the most part, they should always have high interest, especially in live attendance. There ain’t shit else to live for in those bunk ass third world countries. Go shoot 1970 American rifles at sandstones or watch a soccer game? Have sex with your wife to have your 14th starving kid or go root for your Querkekistan Hijabs and throw firecrackers at your centuries old religious rivals at your broken down stadium made of sticks and glue? Yes! Futbol! Futbol! Futbol!

POTY award nominee ^ :lmao