How much of these “low ratings” are because a lot of these games are occurring at 12:30, 2:30, and 5:30 on a weekday? I’m sorry, but who tf was taking off work (if they weren’t laid off because of Covid) to watch the Kings and Nets play at 12:30 before the playoffs or Milwaukee-Orlando at 2:30. Before, games were typically starting at 7 and 9:30. Now, they only get 1 game within that prime time slot. convince me why that’s not the main reason for low ratings
Let’s look at the full game highlights uploaded by the NBA’s YT channel Rockets-Thunder game 6 was uploaded last night, and has 1.4 million views Heat-Bucks game 1 has 1.6 million views Clippers-Mavs game 7 has 1.3 million views looks like interest in the NBA is quite high despite what trash like Trump and the rest of his minions think they really want people to believe that BLM and social activism is turning off millions of people...this isn’t Nascar
So just because you get support or criticism doesn’t mean you’re right or wrong. You don’t think history will remember it kindly and your examples are now incredibly famous black men that endured intense racial hatred for their actions. I’ll disagree and I need look no further than Colin Kaepernick and all of the athletes that now kneel for the anthem in solidarity with his protest. In four years Kaepernick went from reviled to getting apologies.
Seems you are correct. Basically, the ratings are "low" because they are averaging in the day games. This years playoffs are either higher rated or about the same as last year's playoffs in primetime or on the weekend (especially Lakers games). https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2020/08/nba-playoff-ratings-primetime-daytime-espn-tnt/ NBA Playoffs up in primetime, but not enough to overcome day game deluge
it’s hilarious how Trump and his garbage supporters are trying to equate low ratings to BLM and social justice...as usual, reality is very different from the narrative they’re trying to spin nobody is watching Miami-Indiana, Toronto-Brooklyn, Milwaukee-Orlando, etc and the majority of the seeding games that were being played at 12:30 or 2:30 on a weekday Houston-OKC would be doing better numbers if the game was starting at 7 instead of 5:30
Should have cancelled the season for covid. But since they're playing the games, I'm happier to see the racial activism.
Again, this is true: https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2020/09/nba-playoff-ratings-player-protest-stoppage/ NBA’s three-day pause has no apparent impact on weekend ratings
Good point. This was very much the situation with the PRC and that many were saying good riddance to the Chinese fans but to the NBA the PRC was like the New World to the Spanish. it was a market that was going to fundamentally change the league in terms of how much money it was bringing in.
The NBA is ultimately a business but the ownership and executives are walking a fine line regarding appeasing the talent (players and coaches) and continuing to make money. To follow up with what DonnyMost is saying I don't really buy that the league is really "woke". I don't think the ownership or management is really all in on social activism. I think what they are doing is driven by the talent and they are appeasing the talent. My own guess is that they feel if they didn't do this the players would've never agreed to restart the season. They are gambling that whatever viewership might be driven away from the messaging will not be much of a loss compared to if they couldn't be playing games now. Compare this to the situation with Morey and HK. I think it's pretty obvious that losing the PRC market is a big loss to the NBA and they really wanted to avoid that. Most of the talent doesn't care as much about HK as they do about BLM so Silver and Lebron were willing to downplay or even criticize Morey rather than take up the mantle of activism on that issue.
It's a fair stance to take, no doubt. But you cant be a celebrity-TV-billionaire turned President, and then also complain about an entertainment entity being political.
For how many people do you realistically expect that the mini-strike was the "last straw" that made them turn off the TV? My guess would be not many. The cultural/political dividing lines by the NBA were drawn a while ago. Again, "driving people away" is not just the people you have removed from the audience, but the people you have left any negative impression with whatsoever, as well as the people you have prevented from joining your audience. You can't just look at one weekend and say "case closed, no problem here". Similarly, I'm not going to point to one singular season, especially given the circumstances with COVID and whatnot, and say that the NBA is imploding, but I do believe they are, at best, playing with fire and certainly not doing anything to expand their audience. I may not be so worried about that if I felt the NBA was completely justified and righteous in its actions, but I don't feel that way, so that puts me in this camp of the disaffected.
One thing Trump is actually adept at is getting ratings. He does understand the concept of maximizing an audience and crafting messaging to that affect. The man is beyond obsessed with popularity. Looking back on his career, I never saw Trump inject politics into his media ventures, at least not during the height of those projects. He knows as well as anyone that both liberals and conservatives watch TV. Granted I did not follow Trump's career closely until his dimply orange ass was forced into my purview, but that's my armchair take on it.
Don't get me wrong, I respect your point and I don't really have an opposing take on it, I'm just backing up his claim with factual numbers. It's possible and likely that the NBA is "driving" people away, but, at the same time, how many people are now watching because of what they are doing. So far, the numbers are showing that they aren't losing eyeballs...even if those eyeballs are now on different people. Maybe they'll go down the later we go into the playoffs...or maybe the NBA will rig a Lakers-Celtics Finals and blow away a ton of previous ratings. On top of that, the NBA's primary audience skews younger and more diverse...which isn't exactly Trump's base. How many full-on Trump supporters watch the NBA regularly...my guess is not many? Hell, here's Adam Silver at the end of (the year) 2019 saying that they aren't as worried about TV ratings because their audience mostly fall in the 18-49 category which is mostly abandoning traditional TV and moving to streaming...a platform that isn't measured very well at this point in time. I also imagine that there have been similar complaints throughout history in regards to "politics" and sports. When the Dodgers added Jackie Robinson, I'm sure there was a huge backlash and people saying that it would ruing the sport...it didn't, ended up making it more popular. Times change, people evolve, thoughts evolve. Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean that there aren't more that do...doesn't mean that you're wrong in how you feel, just that others feel differently. As far as the current NBA...I'd probably say that the players could possibly have the largest African-American voice (outside of Obama and maybe Oprah) in the country. Hell, Lebron is probably right up there with them as far as people that listen to him at this point, especially now that he's in LA. It would be negligent and selfish of them not to use that political power to boost their communities and try to drive equality across the board...when else are they going to have a voice and platform that large. Are they hurting anyone...doesn't seem like it to me...they aren't out in the streets looting and rioting...just forcing those watching and paying attention to come out of their comfort zones a little and realize what's really going on in this country. This is the way change happens...it isn't comfortable...it isn't supposed to be...hell, it may fail and the NBA may truly begin circling the drain...however, at this current time, the numbers don't show that it is...seems to show that everything is normal and chugging along.
Not sure if you have a subscription but this is worth a read if you don't think the NBA has both long-term (10-year trend) and short-term (pre/post COVID comparisons) ratings problems on its hands. https://theathletic.com/1997343/202...a-serious-viewership-problem-it-needs-to-fix/
So what does that have to do with politics? It seems those issues where before this year even started.
If anything I think the NBA should be applauded for demonstrating that you can still have professional sports while simultaneously avoiding spread of the Coronavirus. It's been a monumental task to organize such an effort and I'm grateful honestly. It's nice watching the Rockets play. I hope they win tonight so I can continue to cheer them on for at least another round.
