NBA ratings discourse often takes on a life of its own. And for some people, even outside the writers at this fine sports media blog, ratings discourse seems to be of more interest than discourse about the actual games.
When faced with a question about why that is, NBA commissioner Adam Silver concurred, but also suggested that the obsession over ratings is a little strange. Appearing at a press conference ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Silver had the following to say:
NBA commissioner Adam Silver: “It seems a little unusual how much discussion there is around ratings in this league… fans coming up to me, often, and it frustrates me that the first thing they say is, ‘How are the ratings?'” 🏀📺🎙️ #NBA #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/WSj1t3GKFp
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 6, 2025
“I think about it a lot. On one hand … I like the fact that people are talking about us. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. It seems a little unusual how much discussion there is around ratings in this league. Again, as I said, I’m a fan of all sports, and I follow lots of media, and it seems like there’s a lot more chatter [around NBA ratings]. And even, for me, it’s just, sort of just walking down the street and fans coming up to me, often, and it frustrated me that the first thing they say is, ‘How are the ratings?’ or ‘What are the ratings going to be?’ as opposed to, ‘Wow, you just had two incredible Conference Finals, what a great playoff series you’ve had.'”
Silver’s remarks ring true. Anecdotally, it certainly seems like there’s a lot more chatter about NBA ratings than other sports, especially when ratings are down like they were at the beginning of this season. But the commissioner thinks that’s just part of the culture of being an NBA fan.
“It’s just a thing about the NBA. It’s part of the culture of the NBA that we’re self-critical, that, sort of, our fans, it’s part of the culture around the league to be looking at what’s bad as opposed to what’s good. I think it seeps into our coverage, quite honestly, sometimes.”
Ratings definitely can serve to drive some of that negative discourse, at least when they’re down. There’s a reason why conversations about the style of play and the league’s officiating dominated the debate shows for a portion of the season.
But, to Silver’s point, the focus on ratings is unusual, especially compared to other leagues where viewership discourse is often kept in the background.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.