The death of one of the most well-known celebrities on the planet no doubt hurt the ratings for the NBA Draft.
The 2009 NBA Draft drew a 1.8 U.S. rating (2.1 cable) and 2.6 million viewers on ESPN last Thursday night, down 14% in ratings and 9% in viewers from last year’s 2.1 U.S. rating and 2.9 million viewers. The 1.8 rating is tied as the lowest for the NBA Draft since ’02.
The numbers were likely hurt by two factors: a draft class generally considered weak, and the death of Michael Jackson — which broke just hours before the Draft began.
