Fewer people are watching the NBA than in previous years, including the top athletes in the sports world.
According to Sports Media Watch, ratings for NBA games on ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV are down 25% through Saturday, and there are many ideas as to why.
The main issues observers point to are three-pointer tendencies and lack of defense.
And in recent years, it has become clear that the regular season has become watered down, with players resting more than before.
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Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzula reacts during the first half of a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at TD Garden in Boston on October 28, 2024. (Paul Rutherford/Imagn Images)
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzula was asked about the ratings decline, and one would think the reigning champion’s coach would defend his game. But that wasn’t the case.
“I would like to add that I don’t watch NBA games. I have problems like everyone else,” Mazzula admitted, adding, “I would rather watch another game.”
“I don’t like watching games.”
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzula during the second half at TD Garden on January 19, 2023 in Boston. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Former NBA coach Rick Pitino floats ideas to help evaluations
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recently pointed to the “decline of cable television” as a factor in the decline in viewership.
“Our younger viewers don’t subscribe to cable TV, and those fans aren’t finding our games,” he said.
The NBA is reinvigorating its regular season with the addition of the NBA Cup, which concluded this week with a win over the Milwaukee Bucks in Las Vegas. However, most fans don’t take the NBA Cup seriously, despite the money at stake.
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzula and forward Jayson Tatum (0) play against the Denver Nuggets at TD Garden in Boston on January 19, 2024. (David Butler II/USA Today Sports)
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It should be noted that TV 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%, and Caitlin Clark also posted historic numbers that are bound to go down.
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