Fewer people are watching the NBA than in previous years, including some of the biggest names in the sport.
Ratings for NBA games on ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV are down 25% through Saturday, according to Sports Media Watch, and there are plenty of ideas about why.
The propensity for three-pointers and the lack of defense are the two main errors that observers point out.
And it has become clear that players are resting more frequently than before and that the regular season has been diluted in recent years.
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Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla reacts during the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks at TD Garden in Boston on October 28, 2024. (Paul Rutherford/Image Images)
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was asked about the drop in ratings, and one would think the coach of the reigning champions would defend his play. But that was not the case.
“I add to that that I don’t watch NBA games. I’m as problematic as everyone else,” Mazzulla admitted, adding that “I’d rather watch something else.”
“I don’t like watching games.”
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla during the second half at TD Garden on January 19, 2023 in Boston. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently pointed to “the decline of cable television” as a factor in the lower ratings.
“Our young audience doesn’t subscribe to cable and those fans don’t find our games,” he said.
The NBA has attempted to rejuvenate the regular season by adding the NBA Cup, which ended this week with the Milwaukee Bucks’ victory in Las Vegas. However, most fans do not take the NBA Cup seriously despite the money at stake.
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla and forward Jayson Tatum (0) on the sideline as they face the Denver Nuggets at TD Garden in Boston on Jan. 19, 2024. (David Butler II/USA Today Sports)
It should be noted that television ratings for men’s college basketball and the NHL are also down 21% and 28%, respectively, from last season. Women’s college basketball is also down 38%, but Caitlin Clark also put up historic numbers that were sure to go down.
