At the end of the regular NBA season, national ratings held steady, but local ratings told a different story. While early in the season, national NBA ratings faced viewership declines in the 20% range, interest surged later due to increased Christmas Day audiences and the excitement generated by the Luka Dončić trade. The NBA finished down just 2% across ABC, ESPN, and TNT this season, but local broadcasts experienced a substantial decline.
According to reporting by Puck’s John Ourand, local NBA viewership fell by an average of 13%, with 25 out of 30 teams reporting a drop in audiences compared to last year. This decline largely stems from accelerated cord-cutting, resulting in significantly fewer subscribers to the regional sports networks that air NBA games. Furthermore, the placement of these networks in pay TV bundles has shifted, with many being moved to higher, more expensive tiers with fewer subscribers, further limiting the reach of local broadcasts. As games become increasingly available on paid streaming services, they are also excluded from traditional TV ratings.
The team that saw the largest decline was the Chicago Bulls, whose viewership dropped by 62%, primarily due to an ongoing dispute between the Chicago Sports Network and Comcast, a major pay TV provider in the area. Other teams facing significant drops included the Atlanta Hawks (53%) and Miami Heat (52%). Interestingly, two teams that departed their regional sports networks in 2023, the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns, also saw declines of 44% and 23%, respectively, in the second year of their over-the-air deals.
In contrast, a few teams bucked the trend. The Cleveland Cavaliers experienced a remarkable 60% increase in viewership during their push for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, while the Houston Rockets enjoyed a 45% rise during their strong regular season. Additionally, the Portland Trail Blazers reportedly doubled their local viewership in their first year after moving off Root Sports to an over-the-air station. These numbers illustrate just how dire the situation is for regional sports networks, as, with few exceptions, teams are struggling to reach their audiences as broadcasts become increasingly complex and harder to access.
