YoY change in NBA ratings by network according to Sports Business Journal:
1) TNT – ↓ 22%
2) ESPN – ↓ 19%
3) Regional Sports Networks (RSN) – ↓ 7%
Average viewers/game (YoY growth):
1) 2018-19 – 1.75M
2) 2019-20 – 1.45M (↓ 17%)
Quote from Adam Silver – Commissioner @ NBA:
“Especially for the NBA, which is primarily a cable-satellite sport, that system is broken to a certain extent… It’s not just in terms of the loss of homes, but our young viewers, in particular, are tuning out cable, traditional cable.”
The big question: Would the NBA fare better on broadcast TV? Mak Cuban seems to think so.
Teams w/ the most nationally televised games in 2019-20:
1) Los Angeles Lakers – 43
2) Golden State Warriors – 42
3) Los Angeles Clippers – 26
NBA TV rights fees/year (% change) by deal according to Sports Business Journal:
1) 2002-08 – $767M
2) 2008-16 – $930M (↑ 62%)
3) 2016-25 – $2.6B (↑ 215%)
The big big picture: The NBA’s future is in China.
Key details for the NBA in China:
1) 490M people in China watched NBA content on Tencent last year
2) 21M people in China watched part of Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals on Tencent
3) 18M people (average minute audience) watched Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals in the U.S.
More #1: NBA ratings are in a steep decline: Sorting through some popular myths — and looking for a solution
More #2: NBA TV Now Available as Direct Streaming Service, No Cable or Satellite TV Required
