Dan Le Batard is here to address the current negative narrative surrounding the NBA, including the declining regular season ratings and a disastrous All-Star Game. With ongoing discussions about who will be the next face of the league, scrutiny over the league’s health has grown. However, as Le Batard pointed out, it’s an opportune moment to take a deep breath and acknowledge the solid position of the NBA for long-term success.
Just months ago, the NBA secured new 11-year, $76 billion media deals with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon for its future television contracts. If some of the wealthiest and most influential companies are willing to invest tens of billions, it suggests that the situation may not be as dire as it seems.
“It literally doesn’t matter to the business of this whether ANYONE is watching it when it’s televised…It doesn’t matter if you watch or not, the business does not need your eyeballs.” — Dan explains why the business of the NBA is booming despite low TV ratings.
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— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) February 20, 2025
Le Batard elaborated, stating, “The guaranteed money that the NBA now has, it doesn’t matter if you watch or not. The business of it doesn’t need your eyeballs. You can say the sport is dying but that’s become a social media sport. People are still consuming it; they might not be watching it at your preferred moment, which could impact the next contract. But as things stand, the arenas could be empty, and they would still have their money.” He further explained that despite the ratings decline, the NBA has secured substantial TV funding because networks and platforms compete fiercely to broadcast its content, regardless of viewership numbers.
It’s true that this situation affects networks footing these multimillion-dollar deals; if viewers dwindle, it hampers their ability to recover investments through advertising and subscriptions, which may deter future investments. Nonetheless, Le Batard’s point stands that the NBA is financially secured with these contracts already in place. Despite ongoing ‘sky is falling’ narratives, the NBA has successfully negotiated significant rights deals with major broadcasters, as it has in the past during transitions between eras defined by legends like Bird, Magic, Jordan, and Kobe.
“I thought it would now! Weren’t the ratings just going down? And then the business of it opens up and there’s unbelievable amounts of money for the business of basketball,” Le Batard remarked. The future of basketball and sports at large is uncertain, but the NBA has adeptly adapted to changing social media and streaming landscapes, embracing platforms like YouTube and social media for sharing content. Even as linear ratings decline, the league still holds a substantial reach and influence.
Ultimately, regardless of opinions on load management or the All-Star Game, the NBA is poised to remain relevant and healthy, attracting investment in the tens of billions for its premier live sports product.
