2020 NBA Finals game 1 - lowest ratings in history

[JustinCharge 2,397]

The article did mention politics being up-front as a possible reason why, but tried to couch as it as one of several factors.  That isn't what pundits originally speculated however, as they suggested sports ratings across the board would spike in 2020 as people needed something to do.

https://sports.yahoo.com/game-1-nba-finals-lakers-heat-ratings-low-abc-225636681.html

Game 1 of NBA Finals sees lowest viewership in recorded ratings history
Jack Baer
Yahoo Sports October 1, 2020

A trend of low ratings throughout the NBA postseason has now reached the NBA Finals. And hit it hard.

Game 1 of the Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat brought in only 7.41 million viewers to ABC, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That is reportedly the lowest viewership seen for the Finals since at least 1994, when total viewers began to be regularly recorded.

The number is down 45 percent from last year’s Game 1 between the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors, which had 13.51 million viewers. This is the fourth straight year Game 1 viewership has gone down compared to the previous season.

The previous low for the Finals was reportedly 8.06 million in Game 3 of the 2007 NBA Finals. That was the third game of a sweep by the San Antonio Spurs of the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James’ first Finals appearance.

Political polarization could very well play a part in the dip, but there are likely several reasons behind the NBA’s decline.

[Djgb13 2,339]

Politics and the soft play the game has evolved to has really driven me away. Too many fouls, not enough traveling calls, too much politics, and no defense. Rather watch college basketball 

[Utilit99 4,099]

Are they still playing? Jeez.

[shorepatrol 1,870]

It'll get worse. BLM clownshow aside. It's not competitive AT ALL. 

[TimmySmith 2,782]

Ledouche abandons team in final seconds of loss. 

[12th Man 884]

Go woke, go broke. I'll never watch another game.  

[fandandy 3,313]

On 10/2/2020 at 11:03 PM, shorepatrol said:

It'll get worse. BLM clownshow aside. It's not competitive AT ALL. 

It doesn't need to be set up with a salary cap but with a talent cap.  Utilize the EA sports player rankings and no team can exceed X number of points.

[MTSkiBum 1,620]

I had no idea the nba finals started. I just googled and the stanley cup is over as well. The problem with hockey is that the hood teams are all in the south with a crappy fan base.

 

If there is a game 7 of the nba finals I may watch.

[lod001 1,344]

Beautiful. LeDumb is fully responsible for the ratings tank. Too dumb to keep his cakehole shut. Too dumb to grasp crime stats. Simply a moron and a ratings tank is justice in action.

Barkley, Shaq, Herschel Walker. They should be listened to. Not some tard like LeDumb.

[RLLD 4,143]

Let's hope this continues, yes it might lead to the ignorant shutting the fock up, but wouldnt it be nice if the constant lying about police and racism were to be squashed?

[MDC 7,082]

I’m a big NBA fan but I’ve barely watched since the league came back. A big reason for me is that it looks awful on TV. With baseball and football I sort of forget the lack of fans when the camera is focused on the field. NBA games look like they’re being played in a TV studio. It’s terrible. 

[Strike 5,171]

Game 2 was even worse than game 1:

https://www.outkick.com/nba-ratings-tank-game-2/

[lod001 1,344]

52 minutes ago, Strike said:

Game 2 was even worse than game 1:

https://www.outkick.com/nba-ratings-tank-game-2/

nice. 

[Cdub100 3,823]

Who's even playing? I was probably the biggest nba fan on this board. That was until they told me to stop watching. So I obliged them. Looks like a lot of other people stoped too.

[Utilit99 4,099]

12 hours ago, Cdub100 said:

Who's even playing? I was probably the biggest nba fan on this board. That was until they told me to stop watching. So I obliged them. Looks like a lot of other people stoped too.

I wonder why a bunch of people don't want to keep watching a bunch of politically motivated uneducated black people who make millions and want to whine all the time. I would love to see the NBA disappear for good. 

I'm glad this is happening. 

Let 13% of the population support them.

[Voltaire 5,160]

2 hours ago, Cdub100 said:

Who's even playing? I was probably the biggest nba fan on this board. That was until they told me to stop watching. So I obliged them. Looks like a lot of other people stoped too.

Lakers and Miami, I think the Lakers lost game two but it might have been game three.

[Cruzer 1,995]

Woke or not, I had ZERO plans to watch this Finals. 

[Voltaire 5,160]

I tell you how bad things have gotten with me: it's no longer game seven of the NBA championship, Pistons down by one with three seconds on the clock when I aim my t-shirt at the clothes hamper across the room. Throwing the pillow into the corner of the sofa and landing properly isn't hitting a wide receiver in the corner of the end zone. I no longer make spin moves and juke around imaginary defenders in my living room when no one's around, and the interview speech that I have been honing and fine tuning ever since I was four years old after my .870 15 homerun 42 RBI World Series Tigers championship performance hasn't been dusted off in months. I haven't swung an imaginary bat at an imaginary fastball in months.

[KayJay1971 239]

I don't know how you all can expect these poor guys to concentrate on basketball at a time like this. Don't you know that black men are being HUNTED IN THE STREETS by raciss white PoPo? Cut these guys some slack. 

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

8 hours ago, Utilit99 said:

I wonder why a bunch of people don't want to keep watching a bunch of politically motivated uneducated black people who make millions and want to whine all the time. I would love to see the NBA disappear for good. 

I'm glad this is happening. 

Let 13% of the population support them.

Move the focking league to China. Let the Shanghai Shamans and Beijing bears go at it for the title. See how LeBron actually likes living here.

[MDC 7,082]

10 hours ago, Voltaire said:

Lakers and Miami, I think the Lakers lost game two but it might have been game three.

It was Game 3. Miami is good enough to push it to 6. This finals series is pretty much a coronation though. The WCF would have been the real championship but the Clippers shot the bed.

[Strike 5,171]

https://www.outkick.com/adam-silver-nba-social-justice-messaging-will-be-largely-left-off-the-court-next-season/

[supermike80 1,791]

In this case I am kind of in agreement with the board.  While I still watch the NFL, because I'm a Lions fan and I like to suffer, the NBA has made it 100% clear they are not interested in my white, middle class dollars.  And that's OK.  I can spend my limited disposable income on other things...If the NBA doesn't want me, I certainly won't beg them to change their minds.

[Utilit99 4,099]

43 minutes ago, Strike said:

https://www.outkick.com/adam-silver-nba-social-justice-messaging-will-be-largely-left-off-the-court-next-season/

Too late. They lost me years ago with their ghettotardness.

Did Adam Silver play Slugworth in Willy Wonka?

https://www.google.com/search?q=willy+wonka+and+the+chocolate+factory+slugworth&rlz=1C1GCEB_enUS918US918&sxsrf=ALeKk02PwxZglN98vhZHmAEXD5OokxDk4Q:1602093234197&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=_IilVgT0okn-YM%2CDCJ_Smt4Gn4DbM%2C%2Fm%2F0805t0&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kQYLqZNURd5t59U-bsiGseW5GSMBA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiv7_uwhqPsAhWQTt8KHelpCo4Q_B16BAgPEAM#imgrc=-wRb26K6zLjP3M

[Hardcore troubadour 14,872]

47 minutes ago, Strike said:

https://www.outkick.com/adam-silver-nba-social-justice-messaging-will-be-largely-left-off-the-court-next-season/

So that means we will have solved institutional racism and police brutality by the time the next season starts? Great! 

[TBayXXXVII 2,477]

On 10/2/2020 at 9:59 PM, riversco said:

Political polarization could very well play a part in the dip, but there are likely several reasons behind the NBA’s decline.

LOL... nope.  It's the only one.

[GobbleDog 973]

I gamble on the NBA and even I don't watch... any of it. Not the playoffs or even my home team. Doubt I ever will again.  Don't care for the product or the message. 

 

[nobody 2,540]

1 hour ago, GobbleDog said:

I gamble on the NBA and even I don't watch... any of it. Not the playoffs or even my home team. Doubt I ever will again.  Don't care for the product or the message. 

 

That's a good idea when getting on basketball.  It's hard to remove the media bias from your perspective.  It's much more profitable to look at the results in a vacuum and try to figure out who is more motivated.