2012 NBA All-Star Game and All-Star Saturday Night Both Down Double-Digits

Posted by | 02/28/2012 at 10:38 pm

Facing an Academy Awards telecast that attracted nearly 40 million viewers, it is no surprise that Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game was down double-digits from last year.

The 2012 NBA All-Star Game drew a 4.4 U.S. rating and 7.070 million viewers on TNT Sunday night, down 15% in ratings and 22% in viewership from last year (5.2, 9.093M), but up 16% and 3%, respectively, from 2010 (3.8, 6.846M).

The game ranks as the fifth-lowest rated NBA All-Star Game since at least 1989 and is tied as the fourth-least viewed.

This year’s All-Star Game faced competition from the Academy Awards on ABC, which earned 39.341 million viewers — an audience exceeded by only five NFL playoff games and the Grammy Awards (39.909M).

Of note, eight of the ten NBA All-Star Game telecasts on TNT have suffered a decline in ratings and viewership compared to the previous year.

On Saturday, NBA All-Star Saturday Night drew a 3.6 U.S. rating and 6.237 million viewers, down 18% in ratings and 23% in viewership from last year (4.4, 8.090M), but up 16% and 15%, respectively, from 2010 (3.1, 5.441M).

Despite the decline, the telecast ranks as the third-most viewed edition of NBA All-Star Saturday Night, behind only last year and 2009 (6.554M).

NBA All-Star Game Ratings
Past Decade
(NBA All-Star Game ratings/viewership dating back to 1990 are available here)

(This year’s ratings from Bloomberg, viewership from Media Life Magazine)

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  • bill

    The grammys drew 39.9 milllion this year beating the oscars too. 

    • Paulsen

       You are correct, thanks for pointing that out.

  • JakeFrankie

    You forgot to put in the 2001 All Star rating on NBC which was 5.1, 02 was a huge jump from 2001. Palusen your ratings prediction was pretty wrong, 2012 All Star game STILL drew a higher ratings than 2006,2007,2008 and 2010. All Star Saturday was a big drop (as expected, with literally no drawing power in the Slam Dunk Contest) STILL drew the 3rd highest rating every only behind 2009 and 2011 (which both had PLENTY of star power) That’s good news for the NBA.

    Although overall the ratings are a plus for the NBA, your going against one of the biggest events of the year in the Oscars and All Star Saturday where (rating’s usually peak during the Slam Dunk Contest) had no drawing power. It’s a win for the NBA which I knew wouldn’t be as bad as some expected because the NBA has a ton of good momentum at the moment. 

    Also comparing the ratings from NBC All Star games to these days are kind of foolish. It’s a new era, NBA All Star game has lost it’s luster. It’s not the NBA’s player’s fault’s. It’s taken it’s course, All Star Saturday is more liked by fans these days than the All Star game. All Star Game is what it is now, STILL a great honor for the NBA players. But the game overall has gone down over the year’s. It’s fun for a while but after that it’s just there. Still I do think NBA puts up the BEST ALL STAR weekend in any sport in America. The weekend is fun to watch for us basketball junkies.

    Paulsen THANKS for all the NBA updates, Keep up the good work.