The NBA has had a rough start to its revamped season. The ratings are tanking and there is no end in sight.
But that is not the real problem according to journalist Damon Salvadore: “The most incredible thing about NBA ratings tanking is the fact that a record number of people are working from home. You could simply watch games at home while your working, but people don’t even want to do that.”
He added: “Rough start for the NBA playoffs. Viewership on ABC is down 23% from last year. Viewership down a huge 28% in 18-49 year olds. The Lakers game was the lowest watched opener in 5 years. Overall ratings are down 20% compared to last postseason.”
From Sports Illustrated:
Ratings for broadcasts of NBA games remained shaky over the weekend, per Sports Media Watch, continuing a season-long trend of the league struggling to attract television viewers.
“Weekday afternoon games have certainly hurt, but the first weekend of the NBA Playoffs was no ratings bonanza either,” according to Sports Media Watch.
Compared to the last season, ABC’s first playoff game of this season fell 23 percent in ratings and 21 percent in viewership.
“The Lakers’ win ranks as ABC’s least-watched playoff opener in five years (2015 Pelicans-Warriors: 3.49M), with the caveat that this year marked the first time since 2004 that it did not air a game on the opening day of the postseason,” Sports Media Watch reported.
Overall, ratings for the playoffs are down 20 percent from last season, according to data collected from Real GM and ShowBuzz Daily.
Rough start for the NBA playoffs.
-Viewership on ABC is down 23% from last year
-Viewership down a huge 28% in 18-49 year olds
-The Lakers game was the lowest watched opener in 5 years
-Overall ratings are down 20% compared to last postseasonhttps://t.co/kil8YgtGWx— Damon A. Salvadore (@DamonSalvadore1) August 30, 2020
NBA IN TROUBLE: Play-Off Ratings DOWN 23% Compared to 2019, Lowest Watched in 5 Years https://t.co/W8Xv9bGQIo
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) August 31, 2020
