VSM Roundtable: Why are NBA TV Ratings continuing to decrease?

VSM Roundtable: Why are NBA TV Ratings continuing to decrease?

One of the biggest hot topics in the NBA recently has been the decline in TV Ratings, which has been the case for over a decade. Everyone has their own theory–and so do we! Today, we asked a few of our NBA writers why that’s the case, so let’s get into their responses below!

Alex Chick III:

There’s a few reasons why the NBA TV ratings are down and don’t worry I have a list that I’d like to go over.

1. Why the hell is it so hard to just find a game to watch?

Why do we have to get multiple subscriptions to watch NBA games? The NBA sold out for money and in return, ratings are down. Duh. Also, NBA league pass is stupid. It should be cheaper and it should not be location-based. I can’t buy the Spurs league pass because I wouldn’t even get the games half the time. It’s a stupid system. Why haven’t we gotten an NBA-Style Redzone yet? Call it “In The Paint” (I want trademark rights) and feature games that are close so fan engagement is still high and people don’t waste their time on blowouts.

2. Scheduling.

Why is the NBA so afraid to compete with other leagues for ratings? They put themselves on the back burner and let other leagues shine. The NFL bullied them for Christmas games and NBA Christmas Day used to be an event, now it’s 2nd priority to the NFL.
Also, the NBA season is too long, make the NBA season 58 games (play everyone twice) or 72 games at MOST and space out the season for teams. There should be no back-to-backs for teams and there should be NBA games every damn day. Tiebreakers for teams should be points in the head-to-head matchup.

3. The Refs:

Stop babying these superstars. A few years ago the NBA said, “We’re not calling these ticky tacky fouls so get over it” and for 10 games they were true to their word and the NBA fans LOVED it. But stars like Damian Lillard, Trae Young, James Harden, Luka Doncic–you know the usual foul-baiting players–complained and the refs reverted back to their old ways to make basketball unwatchable. I wouldn’t even be opposed to going to FIBA-type rules and refs, it makes basketball that much more enjoyable.

Fix the damn NBA Adam Silver.

Trey Daubert:

Everybody with a brain knows that Adam Silver is the biggest problem with the NBA. Sorry, not sorry, but he has a clam between his legs and until that changes the ratings will continue to tank. He cares about the wrong things and is a total pushover with the players. It doesn’t register to the common fan. Silver can say whatever he wants about parity but parity is bad for the NBA. When the Warriors were in the middle of their dynasty people watched. Love them, hate them, you watched. Great teams create interest.

Hell, if he just listened to Joe Mazzulla and inserted fighting, a powerplay, and the other crazy ideas he has, that would increase ratings too. At the end of the day, he’s created a sport where it feels like the regular season doesn’t matter, stars sit out whenever they want, and everybody gets in the playoffs. All of his solutions create more long-term problems. Everybody wants to jerk off to the trade machine and his solution is to create more player movement to spread out the talent even more.

The whole thing is a joke. Hey, maybe making the courts brighter will solve the problem. This isn’t hard to figure out. I watch hockey over basketball if given the option because you can tell those players have a die-on-their-shield mentality. Fans can spend outrageous money on tickets to watch their favorite players sit on the bench. Silver is the wrong commissioner for what the sport needs and as long as he continues to fold like a cheap tent ratings will continue to decrease.

Christopher Bagdonas:

This is kinda corny but I think that Magic Johnson has a good point about ratings.

You don’t really see anyone, forget about star players, hating each other in today’s league. Magic and Larry Bird had respect, but wanted to kill each other when the ball was tipped. Michael Jordan just hated everyone and Kobe Bryant (RIP) had a similar approach to the competition (Kobe-Shaq relationship also had some extra buzz to it). If there’s more beef and fire, then I guarantee people will want to tune in and mark their calendars for matchups.

This is a more obvious point, but the league is struggling to find a No. 1 domestic marketable star. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Doncic are incredible but the aging American core of LeBron James, Stephen Curry Kevin Durant has carried viewership and buzz for so many years. When you think about it, Tatum and Booker are the next best options for younger high-level players. It doesn’t seem to look like there will be any changes since Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and others will keep being the top dogs unless someone like Cooper Flagg can really become a generational and marketable superstar.

Matt Hanifan:

The diehard fans, like myself, will watch no matter what. But sports media has never been more prominent in today’s day-and-age. Podcasts, other television shows, movie watching, streaming (Netflix, Hulu, etc.), you name it. That makes it much more difficult for the NBA to attract the casual fan on a night-to-night basis. Football’s had success because 1.) It’s the most popular sport in America, anyway and 2.) most of it is played on the weekends. The NBA, MLB and NHL are all trying to catch up.

The NBA could do a far better job marketing its superstars and making games more accessible to localized fans on a night-to-night basis. Find someone who can do the former while fixing the latter. Plus, if you want to attract the casual fan and eliminate the “they don’t play defense” (which is wildly untrue) and “they only shoot 3s” narratives that persist, allow hand-checking and make it more physical. That’ll make point-of-attack way more physical and, thus, provide more shot variability.

You also couldn’t get me to care about the ratings decline anyway, however. The NBA’s revenue is as great as it’s ever been and the league just signed a $76 billion media deal. They’re doing just fine. Can they improve? Absolutely, in multiple ways. But I am not a corporate sponsor or employee nor do I judge every Nielson fluctuation. I care about the ball that’s being played, which is a separate, nuanced issue.

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