The NBA’s All-Star Celebrity Game tumbled to a 10-year ratings low. In other news, the NBA Rising Stars Challenge also hit a low point, and local NBA ratings are down double-digits thus far.
NBA Celebrity Game Lowest Rated in 10 Years
- The NBA All-Star Celebrity Game had a 1.1 final rating and 1.7 million viewers on ESPN Friday night, down 15% in ratings and 16% in viewership from last year (1.3, 2.0M) and down a tick and 5% respectively from 2015 (1.2, 1.8M). It was the lowest rated edition of the game since 2007 (1.0) and the least-watched since 2008 (1.6M).
NBA Rising Stars Fall to Decade Low
- TNT pulled a 0.7 final rating and 1.2 million viewers for the NBA Rising Stars Challenge Friday night, down 22% in ratings and 13% in viewership from last year (0.9, 1.3M), down 30% and 26% respectively from 2015 (1.0, 1.6M), and the game’s smallest audience in at least a decade. As recently as five years ago, viewership was more-than-twice as high (2.7M).
Local NBA Ratings Down Double-Digits
- Local NBA ratings declined 15% on regional sports networks during the first half of the season, Sports Business Journal reported Monday, with 20 of the 27 teams examined by the publication either flat or down compared to last year. The moribund Mavericks (0.8, -53%) and Magic (0.7, -50%) have suffered the steepest declines, followed by the Heat (2.3, -48%) and Spurs (5.1, -43%), both of whom lost all-time franchise greats in the offseason. Yet even good, star-studded teams have posted declines, including the Cavaliers (7.0, -28%) and Celtics (-15%; rating n/a). Four teams are up double-digits, the Sixers (1.9, +80%), Rockets (1.9, +23%), Pelicans (1.4, +20%) and Timberwolves (1.6, +10%).
(Numbers via Programming Insider 2.21, Sports Business Daily 2.20)
