The TV ratings for the NBA continue to be in the gutter with the regular season nearing a close.
According to Sports Business Journal, NBA games broadcast on ESPN, ABC and TNT averaged only 1.4 million viewers. That’s a staggering 13% decline from last season when the numbers were already slipping in a huge way. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
ICYMI in SBJ Media: The #NBA has averaged 1.4 million viewers per game this year, down 13% headed into the final week of the season across ESPN, ABC and TNT compared to the COVID-interrupted 2019-2020 season + Orlando bubble (@AustinKarp).https://t.co/NrolzE0rmd pic.twitter.com/D4P6Gqx2FJ
— Sports Business Journal (@sbjsbd) May 11, 2021
The NBA Finals for last season had record low TV ratings as LeBron James and the Lakers beat the Heat for the title.
According to Outkick, games on ABC last season averaged a record low 2.95 million viewers, and the final numbers for this season are expected to be even worse.
That means the NBA is headed for an even worse overall season when it comes to TV ratings than the disastrous 2019-20 campaign.
The TV Ratings For Game 2 Of The NBA Finals Absolutely Tank. The Numbers Are Embarrassing For The League https://t.co/Ljd5bfddDt
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) October 4, 2020
If you’re in the NBA’s league leadership, you have to be panicking right now. Everyone thought last year could be an outlier.
Not only is it not an outlier at this point, it’s gotten much worse. I guess this is what happens when a sports league does nothing other than lecture the rest of America.
LeBron James has now deleted the tweet calling for the cop to be arrested for shooting the woman armed with a knife, but don’t worry. The internet is forever.
I blurred out the officer’s face on purpose. pic.twitter.com/dbv5dPrZ87
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) April 21, 2021
People have given up on the NBA, and it’s crystal clear. Meanwhile, the ratings for the NFL draft were huge, the ratings for the national title basketball game were huge and ratings for football will continue to be huge.
The TV Ratings Are In For Baylor Beating Gonzaga, And The Numbers Crush The NBA https://t.co/3sEgD5Whgj
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 6, 2021
You just hate to see it happen to a league that has tried so hard to be fair and balanced!