Why are NBA ratings declining?
There were several reasons television ratings were down for sports in 2020—increased streaming options, the weirdness of having no fans in the stands, an all-encompassing presidential election, the fact that the entire world was falling apart—but the primary reason may be the simplest: Sports were on at different times …
Is the NBA losing popularity?
According to SportsMediaWatch, the drop in sports ratings comes amidst a widespread decline in television viewing overall, as an “average of 76.2 million viewers were watching primetime television on the first five nights of the Finals, nearly eight million fewer than during last year’s Finals.” While only 3.8 million …
Is NBA viewership down in 2020?
NBA games on ESPN averaged 1.19 million viewers down 10\% from 2019-20 and -25\% from 2018-19. TNT averaged a slightly better 1.22 million viewers, a decline of 7\% from last season and -18\% from 2018-19. (The audiences for 2020 and 2021 include out-of-home viewing.)
How much are NBA ratings down?
However, it’s important to note that although the ratings for the 2020 NBA Playoffs were down 37\% compared to the prior year, both the NHL playoffs (38\%) and the MLB playoffs (40\%) experienced more significant rating declines. The final round of golf’s 2020 U.S. Open decreased by 56\%.
Are the 2021 NBA Playoff Ratings Down?
The full 2021 NBA playoffs averaged 3.97 million viewers across ESPN, ABC, TNT and NBA TV, per Sports Media Watch. The PUT metrics during the 2021 NBA playoffs were down 14 percent versus last year and down 23 percent from 2019. The PUT number through July 6 was 61.2 million people.
Why are sports TV ratings so low?
Several factors are fueling the drop, according to data and interviews with TV executives and industry observers: the intensity of the political news cycle; a glut of sports on TV; and viewers’ lives being upended by the global pandemic.
Are NBA ratings down for 2021?
But the NBA is decidedly not more popular than ever by any means. To the contrary, regular-season ratings in 2020-21 were down 25\% compared with the last uninterrupted season in 2018-19.
Are sports declining in popularity?
Sports leagues, especially Major League Baseball, are seeing declines in younger viewership. The change comes as people turn away from traditional TV viewing and toward social media, video games and streaming TV, a trend that has only grown during the Covid-19 pandemic, reports The Wall Street Journal.