While national viewership lagged, several NBA teams generated strong local numbers during the regular season.
The defending champion San Antonio Spurs averaged the highest local rating in the NBA during the regular season, averaging an 8.4 on Fox Sports Southwest — up 12% from last year. Including games on local broadcast affiliates, the Spurs averaged an 8.6 rating in the San Antonio market (+7%).
The Spurs have now averaged the league’s top local rating in three of the past five seasons.
Ranking second for the year were the Cleveland Cavaliers, who averaged a 7.94 rating on Fox Sports Ohio — up 185% from last year (2.79) and the team’s third-highest average ever on the network. Though up big from last year, the average actually marks a 7% decline from LeBron James‘ previous season with the team, 2009-10 (8.55).
The Thunder ranked third for the season with a 7.2 average, down 19% from last year’s league-leading 8.7. The Heat ranked fourth with a 5.0, down 7% from last year’s 6.85. Both the Thunder and Heat went from playoff perennials last year to lottery teams this year.
The Bulls rounded out the top five with a 4.71 average on Comcast SportsNet Chicago — up 56% from last year (3.03) and up 46% from 2012-13 (3.23). Bulls G Derrick Rose missed most of those two seasons. Compared to the 2011-12 season, when Rose did not suffer sustained injury, the average declined 19% from a 5.81.
Among the notable teams outside of the top five, the Hawks averaged a 2.2 rating on Fox Sports South SportSouth in the Atlanta market — up 120% from last year (1.0) and the team’s highest rating ever on the RSNs. The Bucks averaged a 2.04 on Fox Sports Wisconsin, up 311% from last year and the team’s highest average since 2009-10. The whopping 311% increase ranks as the highest in the NBA.
Finally, the league-leading Warriors averaged a 3.77 on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, up 16% from last year.
(Season averages from Spurs.com, Crain’s Cleveland Business, The Oklahoman, CSN Chicago, bizjournals.com, foxsports.com)
