Why The NBA Ratings Records Still Show Big Market Favor
The Lakers, Warriors, and Celtics still drove ratings.
The NBA Finals ended on June 12 with the Denver Nuggets beating the Miami Heat in five games. Disney’s (DIS) - Get Free Report ABC, ESPN, and Warner Bros.’ (WBD) - Get Free Report TNT announced on June 13 that the ratings for the entire 2023 NBA Playoffs are the highest in five years. Here are the additional details:
- The 2023 NBA Playoffs averaged 5.47 million viewers per game across the three networks, the highest since 2019.
- The five-game 2023 NBA Finals averaged 11.64 million viewers on ABC, down from 12.40 million last year during a six-game series between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics
- The deciding game between the Nuggets and Heat on Monday saw 13.08 million viewers, the most for a single game in the last four years.
- The NBA also announced that it garnered eight billion social media viewers, the most ever.
DON’T MISS: How the NBA Finals Ratings Impact the Future of the League
What Drove The Ratings Boost?
The five-year high for an NBA playoff run has led to many using the data to debunk the rhetoric that big market teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Warriors are driving viewership. There was an expectation that two relatively less popular markets in Denver and Miami would not attract huge Finals viewership, but ultimately kept pace with last year’s match-up.
However, the biggest driver for the five-year ratings record was actually driven more by the viewership from the earlier rounds. And as illustrated by Sportico’s Lev Akabas, these match-ups were still pushed by bigger market teams like the Celtics, Lakers, and Warriors.
But perhaps more impactful than the big markets is the competitiveness of the series. The popularity contest between the Lakers and Warriors still couldn’t outclass a few Game 7’s involving just one of the big name teams.
What Does It Mean For The NBA?
The NBA media rights deal is looming with its current deal with Disney and Warner Bros. expiring after the 2024-25 season. These ratings could play a factor in how much it can ask from its bidders.
The league is reportedly looking at around $8 billion per year for its next deal, up from the $2.7 billion it receives annually under the current contract. Adam Silver has spoken multiple times that after the league finishes the final steps of its CBA negotiations, it will turn its head towards the media rights deal.
Other major sports leagues like the NFL and MLS have locked in huge deals in recent years as live sports have become a bridge between the changing cable and streaming landscape. On top of Disney and Warner Bros., there’s a belief that a direct-to-consumer service like Amazon could make a major bid.
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