OT: NBA television viewership is up 32%

Submitted by taistreetsmyhero on

USA Today Link:

"Between ESPN, TNT and NBA TV, the league’s viewership is up 32% this season and averaging 1.4 million viewers according to Nielsen, the highest start to the season since the 2010-2011 campaign...

Last week’s Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game was ESPN's most watched regular season game (3.2 million) since Christmas of 2016. TNT’s opening night broadcast between the Cleveland Cavs and Boston Celtics, while ultimately marred by Gordon Hayward’s injury, was still the second-most watched season-opening telecast in the network’s history with an average of 5.6 million viewers."

Interesting to see, especially given the NFL's concurrent decline in viewership. I know the MGoBoard generally likes to shit on the NBA, but I encourage anyone who hasn't watched recently to give it another shot this year. I can't remember a season with more compelling teams, especially in the East. The Pistons are looking good again. The Bucks have a budding superstar. The 76ers' "Process" is finally starting to show results. The Celtics look like they will give Cavs a legit run for their money. LeBron is back to playing superhero ball without Kyrie.

And even a lot of the recently bad teams have interesting pieces. Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell (of the Louisville squad that we beat to reach the Sweet 16) had a 40 point game and has looked terrific. The Lakers are watchable again (as long as you mute the inevitable pregame and halftime Lonzo Ball discussions) with some promising young talent. The Knicks have another star in Porzingis, and THJ has played some great games for them. The Timberwolves have some really fun players to watch.

Long story long, if you're bored now that the college football regular season has ended, and you haven't enjoyed the NBA in the past, this is the time to give it another shot.

MGoBoard
Basketball

SugarShane

December 5th, 2017 at 6:56 AM ^

I was one of them. I had to turn off Monday night football after Shazier es injury. I turned it back on an hour later only too see someone human torpedo Antonio Brown in the head. Something about the strength and speed of nfl players makes it so, so much worse

Joined: 10/19/2011

MGoPoints: 6949

ScruffyTheJanitor

December 5th, 2017 at 7:06 AM ^

The league was awful in the early aughts because there were so few good point guards. Now? Goran Dragic is a mid-level starting PG in the league, and I think he's really darn good. 

People say you need a point guard to win in college; you need a ball handler for NBA to watchable. Even teams that don't have a great "traditional" point guard will have a sensational ball handler/ playmaker like Jokic or Giannis. NBA Basketball is all about smart players making good decisions at 100 MPH, and man the league is just bursting with these kinds of players these days. 

Joined: 02/03/2011

MGoPoints: 12197

SpinachAssassin

December 5th, 2017 at 8:38 AM ^

He was also a grade A douche, yet even as a Laker-hater, I found myself amazed by the things he could accomplish. He wasn't great for team ball but there was a 5-8 year stretch where every time he shot the ball down the stretch, I dreaded it was going in.

(6 for 24 against the C's excluded, yeesh...)

EDIT: Carmelo would probably beg to differ on the last of that breed, FWIW

Joined: 05/23/2013

MGoPoints: 4869

Occam's Razor

December 5th, 2017 at 9:21 AM ^

NBA has personality unlike the NFL which sterilized all that to make old people feel good about their insecure selves.

On top of that, the younger generation of stars are finally maturing into quality players thus attracting viewers from a lot of markets.

Allen Iverson is my favorite player but I’m glad the days of iso ball are over. Every team can be fun to watch these days with the offensive schemes that are being run.

Joined: 10/23/2017

MGoPoints: 7178

Sleepy

December 5th, 2017 at 7:22 AM ^

...my viewership in local games is down infinity billion percent. On the positive side, they're awesome at tanking. So they have that going for them. Which is nice.

Joined: 10/23/2012

MGoPoints: 11435

billybrown

December 5th, 2017 at 7:25 AM ^

Spot on minus the bit about the Lakers they're still pretty unwatchable. Lonzo is awful so far like unbelievably bad. Still has his whole career ahead of him but he is bad so far.

Joined: 10/02/2010

MGoPoints: 112

543Church

December 5th, 2017 at 7:44 AM ^

I used to watch the NBA a lot from the early 80s to the mid-aughts.  Then I had kids and the Pistons stunk so I didn't watch for around 10 years.   Now I started watching again...when the hell did they start playing music DURING the game?  It is incredibly annoying, especially when listening on the radio.   The games sound like the inside of a Chuckee Cheese.

Yes I'm old.

Joined: 03/09/2012

MGoPoints: 10547

Michrider41

December 5th, 2017 at 7:46 AM ^

would be better to watch. Guys traveling and carrying the ball on every possession is not basketball. Only playing defense for the last 3 minutes of the game isn’t either.

Joined: 07/26/2016

MGoPoints: 2980

gmoney41

December 5th, 2017 at 1:28 PM ^

The lack of traveling calls or carrying calls is infuriating to me. It’s been going on since I started watching nba in the 80’s. It is one of the fundamental rules of the game and creates total disadvantages for defenses. MJ used to travel on his fade away shot. He would pick up his pivot foot before elevating giving him an extra few feet of separation which made that shot devastating, but it was always a violation. It’s funny because at every other level of the game traveling is called pretty consistently. Can’t believe you got negged for that comment

Joined: 07/13/2009

MGoPoints: 3938

Yo_Blue

December 5th, 2017 at 7:50 AM ^

Let the lottery for LiAngelo Ball begin.  His dad pulled him out of UCLA and also said his youngest son will not play for them either.  LiAngelo will not transfer, but will work out for the 2018 NBA draft.  So far, there are no NBA reps that have expressed any interest in Ball.  Lonzo Ball says his son got better treatment from the Chinese than he did from UCLA (who suspended him and the two other players indefinitely).

What a freaking clown show that family is.

Joined: 08/24/2010

MGoPoints: 102594

Matt EM

December 5th, 2017 at 7:57 AM ^

I absolutely appreciate the NBA game much more than college basketball. If I'm being candid, college basketball is simply boring based on a lack of talent, both individually and from a depth perspective. There isn't much entertainment value from the casual fan's standpoint and the quality of play isn't very good either.

For example, the M/OSU game last night was absolute trash in terms of quality of play. Pathetic offense and defense from both teams for long stretches of the game. No individual stars with great skillsets or athletic abilities. It was unwatchable but for the fact that I'm a Michigan grad, and thus compelled to subject myself to it because I love the team.

Even the lottery bound NBA teams have great individual talent at minimum. It's those guys, with freakish athleticism or elite skill that I love to watch..............because the things they can execute on a court aren't normal in the traditional 'run a down screen and hit a catch and shoot jumper' sense. Those individual talents are what provide the entertainment value and superior competition.

 I've never been a huge parity guy, but I can see the appeal that is has. It provides a broader audience with hope, and thus more investment in the sport as a whole. That said, I think dynasties/history rich organizations succeeding at the same time provide more intrigue/drama/interest.

Joined: 11/08/2008

MGoPoints: 13822

Matt EM

December 5th, 2017 at 8:41 AM ^

Skill level in terms of ballhandling and shooting is so far advanced in relation to 25-30 years that its almost laughable to think otherwise. Footwork/use of pivot by bigs has obviously declined a great deal. Considering that 3 of 5, and in most cases 4 of 5 players on the court at any given time during an NBA game are perimter oriented in nature, I'd say that skill level has increased by a wide margin both individualy, and in terms of the game on aggregate.

Athletically, it's not even close, and I doubt anyone would question that.

Watered down - there is some truth to that, but not entirely. It's watered down at the very bottom of the league, in particular the East, but the top of league, particularly the West is extremely strong.

Joined: 11/08/2008

MGoPoints: 13822

MileHighWolverine

December 5th, 2017 at 11:56 AM ^

I don't know...I've rewatched some older games and those guys could shoot the lights out. Beautiful rainbow shots that just seem to drop through hoop straight down, almost. I wonder if you could hold a shooting contest with 10 current NBA players and their equivalent from the 70s/80s how that would have played out - just need my time machine and we'll get this argument settled once and for all.

Joined: 09/02/2008

MGoPoints: 7749

butuka21

December 5th, 2017 at 8:18 AM ^

The NBA is garbage. If I want to watch awesome street ball I can just go to the gym. This whole teaming up with super stars playing no defense and basically not playing til it’s the 4th quarter thing is not fun to watch. It also does not help in my case that I grew up in Chicago and got to watch Jordan and the bulls I was completely spoiled, and just have not been able to watch since he left.

Joined: 11/22/2016

MGoPoints: 2889

Mr Grainger

December 5th, 2017 at 8:22 AM ^

I lost all respect for the NBA and for ESPN on the night of LeBron's "decision" in 2010. Both Sold out all of their integrity that night for an hour of good ratings. Not an once of interest in either since then.

Joined: 06/26/2015

MGoPoints: 9432

panthera leo fututio

December 5th, 2017 at 1:16 PM ^

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/7hjdtn/bill_simmons_with_tanehisi_coates_lebron_is/

Lebron is a guy who's been a millionaire in the public spotlight since he was a teenager, and the worst thing that anybody can say about him is that he handled a free agency announcement poorly. I very seriously doubt that you, I, or many other people on this board would handle ourselves so well, so consistently.

Joined: 09/15/2008

MGoPoints: 2154

1 percent

December 5th, 2017 at 8:25 AM ^

OP by superhero ball do you mean MVP-level ball ... or ball hogging? Usually when people say superhero ball it’s what you think of as Kobe and Melo, which couldn’t be further from the truth in Brons case. Plus they should be getting IT back in a couple weeks and have just won 12 in a row. Honestly, unless LeBron gets hurt the Celts stand no chance against the Cavs, might win a game in the series.

Joined: 09/09/2010

MGoPoints: 11273

mGrowOld

December 5th, 2017 at 8:44 AM ^

Are the soccer threads.

I just wish the people that feel compelled to post in these to tell everybody how much the NBA sucks would be honest for once and say "I havent really watched it in years but from what I read and from what I hear from my buddies It's no defense and nobody really tries till the 4th quarter so I'm going with that opinion."  

I dont particulary like soccer so I dont watch it cept for the World Cup (which I wont be watching this year cause no USA) so i DONT POST IN THE SOCCER THREADS CAUSE I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT'S GOING ON AND DONT FEEL COMPELLED TO SHARE MY STEAMING HOT TAKES ON A SPORT I DONT LIKE WITH THE MASSES.    

Cause if I did I'd look just as ignorant and ill-informed as the anti-NBA posters do in this thread.

Joined: 10/04/2010

MGoPoints: 212943

Perkis-Size Me

December 5th, 2017 at 8:40 AM ^

I'd be curious how much Lakers viewership has spiked this season just to watch Lonzo. I'd be surprised if it really went up for the rest of the league overall, but you know that when the Lakers play either the Cavs or the Warriors, everyone is going to be tuning in.

It won't be to really watch the game, though. It will just be in the hopes of watching Lonzo get his ass whipped up and down the court by LeBron and Curry and then racing to twitter to play the "I told you so" game with LaVar. 

Joined: 11/30/2011

MGoPoints: 105739