Viewership fell across the board during the first half of the NBA season.
NBA regular season viewership has declined on all three major broadcast partners this season, with ABC incurring the steepest drop. The network averaged a 2.5 rating and 4.5 million viewers entering the All-Star break, down 14% in ratings and 12% in viewership from last year (2.9, 5.1M), down 11% and 6% respectively from two years ago (2.8, 4.7M) and the network’s worst first-half averages since at least the 2009-10 season.
Keep in mind ABC aired more games prior to the All-Star break this season (9) than in the previous two (6).
The declines were more modest on cable, with ESPN and TNT each averaging 1.6 million — down 7% from last year (1.7M). Both networks faced tougher than usual competition from the NFL and World Series.
On ESPN, five telecast windows account for the network’s entire shortfall — a doubleheader opposite Game 7 of the World Series, a Christmas night doubleheader opposite Sunday Night Football, and a Bulls/Grizzlies special that faced a rescheduled NFL playoff game in January. With those excluded, its year-over-year average is up 2% (from 1.60M to 1.63M).
On TNT, the declines can be attributed to the five early season doubleheaders that aired opposite Thursday Night Football on NBC. Excluding those ten telecasts, the network’s average viewership is also up 2% (from 1.73M to 1.76M).
Competition was less of a factor for ABC, though the network did air its lowest rated Christmas Day game ever due to NFL overlap.
The national declines are part of an overall trend for the NBA this season, which has also seen local RSN ratings drop for at least 20 teams.
(ABC numbers from ESPN; ESPN/TNT averages compiled by SMW)
