At the risk of jinxing a league that always seems to have bad luck, the NBA seems to be rebounding quite well from the Tim Donaghy nightmare over the summer.
Through the first week of the season, national television partners ESPN and TNT saw upticks in ratings, especially in young demographics. Meanwhile, ratings for Comcast SportsNet New England, the local broadcast network for Boston Celtics games, have increased dramatically thanks to a fast start and The Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.
The jump in ratings is not limited to ESPN, TNT or the Boston Celtics. Mediaweek reports Fox Sports Net has seen “soaring” ratings for its games throughout the country. FSN has local broadcast rights to seventeen NBA teams, and in ten of those markets, ratings are up by double-digits.
Ratings for Milwaukee Bucks games on FSN Wisconsin are up 146%, while ratings for the defending champion San Antonio Spurs are up 90% on FSN Southwest. The Phoenix Suns have also seen major increases in ratings, as games on FSN Arizona are averaging a 4.6 rating, up 82% from last season.
Other increases are smaller, though still impressive. The Indiana Pacers, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons have all seen sizable ratings increases when compared to last year.
Not all the news is positive. Take for example, the New York Knicks. Ratings for Knicks games on MSG were down 27% through November 21. Additionally, leaguewide attendance is down through the first month of the season; the NBA is averaging 16,957 fans per game, down 5% from 17,773 fans through the same point last season.
