NBA TV Ratings

[seancally]

I've seen a lot of chatter about the declining NBA television ratings. Often with the undertone of, "What's going on with the league? Why is it losing popularity?"

I wonder how folks around here feel about that. To me, it seems shortsighted... for example, I stream games on Hulu. Don't think that's captured by TV ratings. And I may be in the minority but compared to just a few years ago streaming must be up 1000%, so that eats into ratings. Then there's the way the game is consumed in social media, YouTube, etc.

Do you guys think TV ratings still matter, or are a reliable way to show a league's popularity? The X-factor is that TV contracts still drive NBA decision-making (salary caps) so there's good reason for the NBA to want to be a high-rating league. But maybe there are other ways to monetize the NBA's popularity on alternate channels.

[mmmmm]

I've seen a lot of chatter about the declining NBA television ratings. Often with the undertone of, "What's going on with the league? Why is it losing popularity?"

I wonder how folks around here feel about that. To me, it seems shortsighted... for example, I stream games on Hulu. Don't think that's captured by TV ratings. And I may be in the minority but compared to just a few years ago streaming must be up 1000%, so that eats into ratings. Then there's the way the game is consumed in social media, YouTube, etc.

Do you guys think TV ratings still matter, or are a reliable way to show a league's popularity? The X-factor is that TV contracts still drive NBA decision-making (salary caps) so there's good reason for the NBA to want to be a high-rating league. But maybe there are other ways to monetize the NBA's popularity on alternate channels.

As long as alternative streaming channels are properly monetized, then that will go into the Basketball Related Income (BRI) calculation, which is what is used to set the salary cap.

[otherdave]

I've seen a lot of chatter about the declining NBA television ratings. Often with the undertone of, "What's going on with the league? Why is it losing popularity?"

I wonder how folks around here feel about that. To me, it seems shortsighted... for example, I stream games on Hulu. Don't think that's captured by TV ratings. And I may be in the minority but compared to just a few years ago streaming must be up 1000%, so that eats into ratings. Then there's the way the game is consumed in social media, YouTube, etc.

Do you guys think TV ratings still matter, or are a reliable way to show a league's popularity? The X-factor is that TV contracts still drive NBA decision-making (salary caps) so there's good reason for the NBA to want to be a high-rating league. But maybe there are other ways to monetize the NBA's popularity on alternate channels.

What games is HULU streaming?  Just games on ABC network a day later, for example?  Everything??  Do tell!

[seancally]

I've seen a lot of chatter about the declining NBA television ratings. Often with the undertone of, "What's going on with the league? Why is it losing popularity?"

I wonder how folks around here feel about that. To me, it seems shortsighted... for example, I stream games on Hulu. Don't think that's captured by TV ratings. And I may be in the minority but compared to just a few years ago streaming must be up 1000%, so that eats into ratings. Then there's the way the game is consumed in social media, YouTube, etc.

Do you guys think TV ratings still matter, or are a reliable way to show a league's popularity? The X-factor is that TV contracts still drive NBA decision-making (salary caps) so there's good reason for the NBA to want to be a high-rating league. But maybe there are other ways to monetize the NBA's popularity on alternate channels.

What games is HULU streaming?  Just games on ABC network a day later, for example?  Everything??  Do tell!

I have Hulu with Live TV, so that's my cable fix. I can see all the Celtics games (I'm local to Boston) and whatever is on ESPN, TNT, ABC, etc.

[seancally]

I've seen a lot of chatter about the declining NBA television ratings. Often with the undertone of, "What's going on with the league? Why is it losing popularity?"

I wonder how folks around here feel about that. To me, it seems shortsighted... for example, I stream games on Hulu. Don't think that's captured by TV ratings. And I may be in the minority but compared to just a few years ago streaming must be up 1000%, so that eats into ratings. Then there's the way the game is consumed in social media, YouTube, etc.

Do you guys think TV ratings still matter, or are a reliable way to show a league's popularity? The X-factor is that TV contracts still drive NBA decision-making (salary caps) so there's good reason for the NBA to want to be a high-rating league. But maybe there are other ways to monetize the NBA's popularity on alternate channels.

As long as alternative streaming channels are properly monetized, then that will go into the Basketball Related Income (BRI) calculation, which is what is used to set the salary cap.

Interesting. So my Hulu scrip would go into that calculation, but not, for example, my ex-roommate's sketchy spam-laden internet stream that cut out at the worst possible moments and was most certainly not regulated.

[Jiri Welsch]

I exclusively stream games on random websites. I would venture to say tens of thousands of fans do the same.

I wonder, similarly to seancally, how much this plays a role?

[keevsnick]

1) Chord cutting. I never watch on cable, I watch on HuluLiveTV. I dont know how thats counted.

2) The Warriors being awful and the NOP lacking Zion have both played a lot of national TV games.

3) Durant, Curry, Thompson, now Kyrie. Thats two big markets who arent as good as they will be.

4) Warriors being gone means there are no "big bad" team to root against. There's no clear juggernaut.

5) Regular season malaise. Everybody has just kind of accepted the regular season is meaningless and nothing matters but a title. Since all the good teams are a lock to make the playoffs, and the bad teams don't matter there just isnt a lot of reason for casuals to watch.

[wiley]

I've seen a lot of chatter about the declining NBA television ratings. Often with the undertone of, "What's going on with the league? Why is it losing popularity?"

I wonder how folks around here feel about that. To me, it seems shortsighted... for example, I stream games on Hulu. Don't think that's captured by TV ratings. And I may be in the minority but compared to just a few years ago streaming must be up 1000%, so that eats into ratings. Then there's the way the game is consumed in social media, YouTube, etc.

Do you guys think TV ratings still matter, or are a reliable way to show a league's popularity? The X-factor is that TV contracts still drive NBA decision-making (salary caps) so there's good reason for the NBA to want to be a high-rating league. But maybe there are other ways to monetize the NBA's popularity on alternate channels.

I wonder if the refs overcontrolling the game....stopping the action....constant whistles on contact where it's not clear who initiated the contact..just incidental contact...has anything to do with fans tuning out.  It's very hard to know who initated contact when there's a scrum for the ball.  But the whistle almost always blows.  Refs should be ready to admit that in some sitauations it's not possible to determine who initiated contact...it's the perfect excuse for not blowing the whistle as much.  Fans of bball, hockey and soccer, want the game to keep flowing.  We already have commercials...constant whistles on top of commercials I would think would be intolerable if trying to expand the game's popularitiy in Europe, etc..

[ChillyWilly]

I stream on fubotv

My nephew's rather watch the game recaps on YouTube. Can watch the game in their 7 minute attention spans.

NBA got smart and now they have a YT channel with recap games.

Think we just consume in so many different ways.

[jambr380]

I exclusively stream games on random websites. I would venture to say tens of thousands of fans do the same.

I wonder, similarly to seancally, how much this plays a role?

This must play a huge role. I used to have League Pass, but it wouldn't work at the most inopportune times and they never carried any national games. Unless they tweak the former and overhaul the latter (ALL games on Team Pass need to be available regardless of network availability), then I am out.

[Fafnir]

League pass web client is a disaster. Its incredibly embarrassing that MLB has a great product online that works essentially perfectly (for 10 years!!) and the NBA still trots out its garbage app/web client.

Only reason I got it again this year is that YouTubeTV allows me to consume it in reliable manner. Though I am still blacked out of 3 separate teams because they just go by antiqued zip codes and "fake" television providers.

[SHAQATTACK]

I exclusively stream games on random websites. I would venture to say tens of thousands of fans do the same.

I wonder, similarly to seancally, how much this plays a role?

I do tHe same now .  When Boston is good , they get on NBA TV , espn etc which i get all those on my std cable pkg. There is no reason to pay bucks  to watch em play just the bad teams .....when i can stream it for FREE !  So far I ve not missed any game I wanted to see Boston play .   

[RockinRyA]

Here in ph there is no licensed NBA games carrier anymore. When the contract expired, all the cable networks failed to get a license to show games due to disagreement with the pricing. I heard the NBA charged higher this time and the companies decided to just not show the games.

A lot of people I know subsequently dropped their cable subscription and just watch on streams since there's no nba anyway and you can watch most things on the internet. Streaming is just a huge competition right now.

[gouki88]

I barely watch any games via a typical medium - mostly streaming similarly to Jiri Welsch. That’s partly due to living in Australia, but also partly because of League Pass sucking.

[BringToughnessBack]

I would have done league pass if they did not have commercials(extra cost they have). NFL lets me watch games condensed without commercials for about same. For NBA, to watch one team without commercials they force you into the 200 plus dollar tier. So, they lost me with that decision to charge more for no commercials.

 So far, no issues streaming games other ways and can usually find streams without commercials.