USA TODAY International Edition
NBA TV partners stay calm amid TV drop
The NBA has completed only a quarter of its regular season, prompting playoff- bound teams to downplay their success and struggling teams to remain optimistic that better days await. My sense is that the NBA’s broadcast partners feel the same way about its sluggish early returns.
Are TV ratings down? Sure. Will cord- cutting continue? You bet. Have the ESPN and Turner Sports networks evaluated how to attract more viewers to tune into their telecasts? Of course.
Tackling these issues can be as challenging as it is to stop the Rockets’ James Harden from getting foul calls. Unlike how the Warriors morphed from a dynasty to a lottery team in six months, though, it does not appear the NBA and its broadcast partners feel their losses are as drastic.
The reason? My sense is they do not believe the TV ratings’ decline stems from just cord- cutting and apathy regarding the regular season. Instead, they attribute it more to specific circumstances. NBA buzz has mostly never picked up until after the MLB and NFL seasons end. Most of the networks’ marquee games are back- loaded. And the NBA opened its season with an influx of injuries to star players, including New Orleans’ Zion Williamson, Golden State’s Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, the Clippers’ Paul George and Kawhi Leonard and Atlanta’s Trae Young.
Of the marquee games TNT ( 15) and ESPN ( 27) have aired, TNT had nine and ESPN had 12 that featured at least one star player out with an injury. TNT has completed only a fraction of its telecasts for the Lakers ( one of 11), Clippers ( three of 11) and Rockets ( one of 10), teams that still attract consistent viewership. ESPN/ ABC has done the same thing with the Lakers, ( six of 19), Clippers ( seven of 16) and Rockets ( four of 15). In related news, the NBA suffered a 17% ratings decline on both their ESPN and TNT telecasts compared to last season.
TNT will likely receive a ratings bump from Lakers- Bucks and Rockets- Clippers games Thursday that coincide with no NFL games for the first time this season. ESPN/ ABC will attract more eyeballs on their Christmas Day games.
This won’t solve the ratings concerns entirely. The increased interest in digital viewership ( 25% ESPN, 30% TNT) won’t offset the ramifications of decreased ratings and cord- cutting. The networks have to find more solutions so they can absorb a customer cutting cable or a star player sitting out with an injury.
Perhaps the proposal for an in- season tournament, reduced games or reseeded playoffs will help. The changes aren’t likely to happen right away, if at all. Meantime, the NBA’s broadcast partners have adopted other strategies to make the best of their circumstances.
TNT has bolstered its on- air talent. It can never go wrong relying on Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal or Kenny Smith saying something controversial or opinionated. But the network has also expanded roles for a Hall of Famer ( Steve Nash) and an accomplished
WNBA player ( Candace Parker), while creating roles for a former NBA All- Star ( Dwyane Wade) and a former NBA coach ( Stan Van Gundy).
NBATV has added more programming. It might have discontinued popular show “The Starters,” but it added the NBA’s version of the NFL’s Redzone Channel ( NBA CrunchTime), a handful of interactive social media driven shows (# Handles, The List) and more pregame shows ( The Warmup, NBATV Center Court).
ESPN has upgraded its broadcast. Its games will feature more use of its “bird’s- eye view camera” and Second Spectrum, which is video tracking that offers a 360- degree view of the game. It has expanded “The Jump,” a daily afternoon NBA show that will also air in between the network’s Christmas Day games.
What does that mean long term for TV ratings? It appears the networks remain confident with their big- picture strategy. As with most NBA teams, the broadcast partners understand things can evolve throughout a long season.