There are fewer people watching the NBA than in previous years, including some of the sport’s top names.
Ratings for NBA games on ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV are down 25% through Saturdayaccording to Sports Media Watch, and there are many ideas floating around as to why.
The propensity for three-pointers and the lack of defense are the two main bugaboos observers.
And it has become clear that players are resting more often than before and that the regular competition has been watered down 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, Oct. 28, 2024. (Paul Rutherford/Imagn Images)
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was asked about the declining ratings, and you would think the coach of the reigning champions would defend his game. But that wasn’t the case.
“I would add that I don’t watch NBA games. I’m just as big a deal as everyone else,” Mazzulla admitted, adding that he would “rather watch something else.
“I don’t like watching the games.”
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla during the second half at TD Garden, Jan. 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 tried to revive the regular season by adding the NBA Cup, which ended this week with the Milwaukee Bucks’ victory in Las Vegas. However, most fans don’t take the NBA Cup seriously, despite the money at stake.
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla and forward Jayson Tatum (0) on the sideline during the game against the Denver Nuggets at TD Garden in Boston, January 19, 2024. (David Butler II/USA Today Sports)
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It should be noted that TV ratings for men’s 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 produced historic numbers that would inevitably come down.
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