2022 NBA Finals on ABC is 5th least-watched series since 1988

[2Quik4UHoes]

What are the numbers like compared to the playoffs when TNT broadcast game and when ABC/ESPN do it? Because the level of talent and interest drops when ESPN is on air.

They can host the games on CBS like march madness and have the TNT guys step in.

This is one of the biggest reasons why I want the league to expand into other networks. NBA on CBS means we can finally get the Inside crew to do a finals. Brings more competition in terms of coverage, if it’s just ESPN with a lions share then you don’t get innovation or a jump in quality.

I keep saying it, but I want the NBA to adopt something similar to the NFL. Keep the old format until after the Super Bowl. Post Super Bowl it should be a full NBA takeover of the networks. Use Fox/CBS for Saturday afternoon conference games and ABC on Saturday for the prime time game, and then bring back NBA on NBC for the Sunday triple header and then use the cable networks for the weekday games.

By starting after the Super Bowl or even ASW it puts a premium on the games left on the schedule AND the games themselves have playoff implications as we would be headed into the final stretch of the season so you could at least semi-recreate the NFL’s ability of fewer games while make those games important.

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

This is one of the biggest reasons why I want the league to expand into other networks. NBA on CBS means we can finally get the Inside crew to do a finals. Brings more competition in terms of coverage, if it’s just ESPN with a lions share then you don’t get innovation or a jump in quality.

I keep saying it, but I want the NBA to adopt something similar to the NFL. Keep the old format until after the Super Bowl. Post Super Bowl it should be a full NBA takeover of the networks. Use Fox/CBS for Saturday afternoon conference games and ABC on Saturday for the prime time game, and then bring back NBA on NBC for the Sunday triple header and then use the cable networks for the weekday games.

By starting after the Super Bowl or even ASW it puts a premium on the games left on the schedule AND the games themselves have playoff implications as we would be headed into the final stretch of the season so you could at least semi-recreate the NFL’s ability of fewer games while make those games important.

Those ideas still won't change the fundamental problem that's present with the NBA as long as load management is still an issue. You'd have more networks griping and complaining and rightfully so that they are paying a premium for games that star players aren't playing. The good thing about that idea though as it'd put more pressure on networks like ESPN and TNT to up their quality and standards in taking the sport more serious instead of using it strictly for hot take content.

 

[Apprentice]

You can easily Google estimated national fanbases for each NBA team and estimated value breh.

Golden State is a recently successful team. Folks under 30 love them, but anyone over that doesn’t give a shyt about them outside the Bay.

Boston Celtics is like Norte Dame, Duke , etc if the NBA had an equivalent.

Lmao this post was hilarious


He called the Celtics the super cacs of the NBA

 

[Apprentice]

To have an honest conversation, they gotta find a way to normalize ratings across technological eras, especially the streaming era of 2015+

Anyway, the NBA doesn’t have a big casual fanbase, not sure if any leagues can up numbers in this environment for series style playoffs. Try single elimination and let the fukkery increase ratings

What do u mean casual fanbase? I don’t really understand the term outside the internet insult lol

 

[2Quik4UHoes]

Those ideas still won't change the fundamental problem that's present with the NBA as long as load management is still an issue. You'd have more networks griping and complaining and rightfully so that they are paying a premium for games that star players aren't playing. The good thing about that idea though as it'd put more pressure on networks like ESPN and TNT to up their quality and standards in taking the sport more serious instead of using it strictly for hot take content.

Well it’s not a solution to every problem but it is to some of the problems. Maybe increased exposure helps motivate players to play. But the load management issue is some CBA shyt that goes beyond the TV deal. But I’d imagine an expanded TV deal would motivate the players to actually play.

Another thing that might happen is that it’ll make players load manage more in the beginning of the season and play more after the SB/ASW when there will be an increase in exposure.

 

[pete clemenza]

Eastern Standard Time is the WOAT timezone for being a sports fan, you can't convince me otherwise. I was on EST in college and a west coast national TV game would be coming on at 9:30p on a weekday. I'd be falling asleep before half time. PAC-12 football games would kickoff at 10:30p.

In western timezones you can watch games and still have a little time to do something afterwards or just go to bed at a reasonable time.

East Coast time zone sucks for the NBA but I think its god tier status for NFL start times.

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

Well it’s not a solution to every problem but it is to some of the problems. Maybe increased exposure helps motivate players to play. But the load management issue is some CBA shyt that goes beyond the TV deal. But I’d imagine an expanded TV deal would motivate the players to actually play.

Another thing that might happen is that it’ll make players load manage more in the beginning of the season and play more after the SB/ASW when there will be an increase in exposure.

An expanded TV deal wouldn't motivate players to play IMO as the contracts will already been locked in so they will get paid the regardless of whether or not they play. The NBA is looking for $75 billion dollars during their next deal. There's no way that networks are going to fork over that type of bread without hearing what Silver has planned to solve the load management issues. Those networks don't want to hear about the concept of load management with the money that they're paying.

They need to solve the load management issue before they discuss expanding networks as it'd just more disgruntled networks on their ass about the issues plaguing their league. ESPN did it with the NFL a couple of years back, so don't think that they won't say anything to the NBA about it.

 

[Apprentice]

This isn’t true, the NFL is simply set up to succeed as they 1) only have one game per week, mainly on the weekend 2) put teams before players 3) have a clear pecking order of who is in charge - white owners and mainly white coaches who lord over black men - thus keeping middle America and the south engaged

let any of those elements start changing, teams playing 2-3 games/week and games on everyday, more player empowerment or letting star players beyond the QB get shine and their ratings would start dropping

That sounds like a NBA problem tho, they need to adjust their product then. It’s oversaturated

Maybe 82 games is too much?

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

That sounds like a NBA problem tho, they need to adjust their product then. It’s oversaturated

Maybe 82 games is too much?

It is, but no one wants to reduce the schedule and deal with the loss revenue that comes along with it.

 

[KFBF]

NBA wise they are the 2nd most popular team nationally outside of the Lakers.

I find that really hard to believe so you have a source for that?

The NBA has still yet to realize that the hot take culture that's taken over their sport benefits the network and players brands more than the league as a whole.

I don’t know how we know they haven’t realized this. But let’s say they haven’t and then they do — what exactly are they supposed to do about it?

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

I find that really hard to believe so you have a source for that?


I don’t know how we know they haven’t realized this. But let’s say they haven’t and then they do — what exactly are they supposed to do about it?

I think it's too far gone at this point for them to do anything about it as the hot take culture has become too much of a cash cow to turn back now. The NBA should have nipped it in the bud long ago. It would need to be a situation of where we reach peak hot take culture, which doesn't seem to have an end in sight.

 

[2Quik4UHoes]

An expanded TV deal wouldn't motivate players to play IMO as the contracts will already been locked in so they will get paid the regardless of whether or not they play. The NBA is looking for $75 billion dollars during their next deal. There's no way that networks are going to fork over that type of bread without hearing what Silver has planned to solve the load management issues. Those networks don't want to hear about the concept of load management with the money that they're paying.

They need to solve the load management issue before they discuss expanding networks as it'd just more disgruntled networks on their ass about the issues plaguing their league. ESPN did it with the NFL a couple of years back, so don't think that they won't say anything to the NBA about it.

Well, as I said that’s a different issue entirely. They’ll have to figure out how to incentivize playing in games. I’m just talking about more exposure and a way to make the NBA more accessible and must watch.

Perhaps the pace needs to be slowed down so that players aren’t being worn down as much. They might give up stats but they’d have less need for load management.

 

[KFBF]

I think it's too far gone at this point for them to do anything about it as the hot take culture has become too much of a cash cow to turn back now. The NBA should have nipped it in the bud long ago. It would need to be a situation of where we reach peak hot take culture, which doesn't seem to have an end in sight.

I’m just not sure what the nba is supposed to do to stop Skip from doing what he does.

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

I’m just not sure what the nba is supposed to do to stop Skip from doing what he does.

Rodger Goodell does it with the NFL as you don't see those analysts and networks talking flagrant about the NFL as they do the NBA. Even ESPN doesn't speak flagarant about other sports like that except the NBA because they've allowed to do so without much pushback if at all. There's no way that the NFL would have let SAS and First Take talk shyt about their Superbowl like that in the way that they did the NBA that particular episode.

 

[Miggs]

@GOAT