OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 02: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors is congratulated by Stephen Curry #30 after he made a shot against the Memphis Grizzlies at ORACLE Arena on November 2, 2015 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The Golden State Warriors’ incredible dominance this season has helped to boost national NBA packages on TNT, ABC and ESPN, and NBA TV, and they’re also finding a huge amount of success with their regional broadcasts. Sports Business Journal‘s John Ourand and John Lombardo report that the Warriors have more than doubled their average rating this season, and that’s helped to boost overall NBA regional ratings despite struggles from other high-profile teams like the Lakers:

The NBA’s power in California has shifted north, both on court and on TV.

The defending champion Golden State Warriors have seen their local TV ratings more than double this season compared with last year’s midpoint. With an 8.42 average rating on CSN Bay Area, the Warriors’ 120 percent spike in ratings is easily the largest increase in the league.

Meanwhile, about 400 miles south, the Los Angeles Lakers are once again posting historic lows on TV. Even with the showcase that is Kobe Bryant’s retirement tour this season, Lakers games on TWC SportsNet are averaging a 1.68 rating. That’s down 16 percent from last year’s midseason mark, a season that ended as the third-consecutive season with a record low for the Lakers.

Overall, as the NBA enters its All-Star break this weekend, the league’s local telecasts are up 6 percent year over year, according to Nielsen.

SBJ wasn’t able to obtain ratings for Memphis, Utah, or Toronto, but we know at the least that the Raptors’ ratings (which are technically national broadcasts, not regional ones) tend to be more solid than spectacular, so they probably wouldn’t alter this all that much. There’s some interesting further data in the SBJ piece, broken down in a variety of categories. The Warriors lead in average audience (209,000 households), but their larger market means they’re third in ratings behind Cleveland (9.44, 141,000 households) and San Antonio (8.74, audience not given, but lower than 92,000 households). That Lakers’ 1.68 rating and 16 per cent decline may be not great, but their market size means they still have the fifth-highest average audience (92,000 households).

What’s perhaps particularly notable is just how the average numbers for some teams are, though. The New Orleans Pelicans especially stand out, pulling in just 7,000 households on average, a 36 per cent year over year drop. That gave them a 1.11 rating, the second-worst in the league, and a second-worst 33 per cent rating drop. The Charlotte Hornets also show up in a couple of the considered categories, posting the second-worst audience (12,000 households) and the fourth-worst ratings (1.06). Even the Orlando Magic, despite a second-best (behind the Warriors) year over year ratings bump (83%), still only average 20,000 households a game (fifth-worst). It’s not just smaller-market teams struggling, either, as some of the bigger-market teams are particularly hurting in the ratings (added local sports competition would be one reason why, but not the only one). The Brooklyn Nets have the league’s worst rating with a 0.47, and the Washington Wizards are third-worst with a 0.96 (and the worst year-over-year decline, a 34 per cent drop). So, while strong seasons from the Warriors and other teams such as the Cavaliers, Spurs and Thunder have helped the NBA regional ratings rise overall, regional broadcasts aren’t a winner in all circumstances.

[Sports Business Journal]

About Andrew Bucholtz

Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.