An extended absence for LeBron James is bad news for the Lakers and the NBA’s television ratings.
With James and Anthony Davis both out due to injury, the Lakers’ blowout loss to the Pelicans Tuesday night averaged 920,000 viewers on TNT — down 35% from Rockets-Bucks on the comparable night in 2019 (1.41M) and the least-watched Laker game on ESPN, ABC or TNT since James joined the team in 2018. The previous low was 970,000 for a 2019 Lakers-Jazz game in which James sat out.
By comparison, the Lakers’ previous game on one of those networks — James and company against the Warriors on ESPN March 15 — averaged a much healthier 1.29 million, up 11% from 2019 (Pacers-Blazers: 1.16M).
James is out indefinitely with a high ankle sprain. Assuming he misses a month of games, he could miss as many as nine Laker games on ESPN, ABC or TNT — including scheduled matchups against the Sixers (TNT Thursday), Bucks (ESPN next Wednesday), Clippers (ABC April 4), Nets (ABC April 10) and Celtics (TNT April 15).
While Davis is expected to return to the line-up at some point during James’ absence, it is likely the team will have to go without both of its stars in some of those marquee games.
Injuries are not only taking a toll on Laker games. Tuesday’s TNT nightcap between the Joel Embiid-less Sixers and Stephen Curry-less Warriors had 996,000 viewers (-9%).
In other recent NBA action, ESPN drew a 0.7 rating (-26%) and 1.15 million viewers (-17%) for Clippers-Mavericks and a 0.6 (-41%) and 931,000 (-37%) for Bucks-Sixers last Wednesday. TNT the previous night had a 0.6 and 1.03 million for Jazz-Celtics and a 0.6 and 983,000 for Pelicans-Blazers. Preceding the aforementioned Lakers-Warriors game on March 15, ESPN drew a 0.7 (-35%) and 1.13 million (-36%) for Knicks-Nets. Finally, Clippers-Pelicans had a 0.6 (-34%) and 1.01 million (-24%) on ESPN March 14. All comparisons are to 2019.
