While the national NBA ratings picture was in a solid spot at the end of the regular season, local ratings were not.
After national NBA ratings faced viewership declines in the 20% range early in the season, the league surged late due to increased Christmas Day audiences and newfound interest sparked by the Luka Dončić trade. The NBA finished down just 2% across ABC, ESPN, and TNT this season.
Local NBA broadcasts are a different story.
According to reporting by Puck’s John Ourand, local NBA viewership found itself down 13% on average, with data accounting for 25 of the league’s 30 teams. The source of decline, of course, is the acceleration of cord-cutting that results in many fewer people being subscribed to the regional sports networks that carry NBA games.
Not only is cord-cutting a major factor in these declines, but it’s where the regional sports networks are placed in the pay TV bundle. Increasingly, these networks are being moved to higher, more expensive tiers with fewer subscribers, thus limiting the reach of local broadcasts even more. Games are also increasingly available on paid streaming services which are not included in the TV ratings.
The team with the largest decline was the Chicago Bulls, whose viewership dropped by 62% this season. The primary reason for the Bulls’ viewership woes is the ongoing dispute between Chicago Sports Network, which broadcasts the games, and Comcast, one of the largest pay TV providers in the region.
Other teams that saw significant declines were the Atlanta Hawks (53%) and Miami Heat (52%). Interestingly, two teams that left their regional sports networks in 2023, the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns, declined 44% and 23%, respectively, in Year 2 of their over-the-air deals.
Bucking the trend, the Cleveland Cavaliers increased viewership by 60% during their run to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Houston Rockets saw a 45% increase during their strong regular season. And the Portland Trail Blazers reportedly doubled their local viewership in their first year since departing Root Sports for an over-the-air station.
These numbers show just how dire the regional sports network business is getting. With few exceptions, teams are reaching fewer and fewer viewers as their broadcasts become more complex and more challenging to access.
Correction: This piece originally incorrectly indicated that 25 of 30 NBA teams had seen year-over-year declines. The exact number of franchises that have seen local viewership decline is unclear.
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.