It’s been a week since the 2024/25 NBA season commenced. Is it time to worry about TV ratings just one week into a new NBA season? If you’re Commissioner Adam Silver, the early numbers are hard to ignore. The 62-year-old ringmaster of the league had plans to expand things on a global platform. On one hand, the commissioner has taken some baby steps toward this goal. For example, the NBA’s return to China was Silver’s master plan to solidify the sport on a huge scale. Yet, beneath these bold moves, there may be more issues brewing than meet the eye.
According to the reports of Awful Announcing: “The opening week of the NBA regular season started strong but fell off during Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday night national windows.” The reports say TNT’s NBA opening night viewership grew 6% with Knicks-Celtics and Timberwolves-Lakers. However, national game ratings dropped afterward. ESPN’s Wednesday doubleheader, featuring Bucks-76ers and Suns-Clippers, drew 1.6 million viewers—a 42% drop from last year’s opener with Victor Wembanyama. TNT’s ratings also slipped on Thursday, with Spurs-Mavericks attracting 1.45 million viewers, down 29% from the same window last year.
Many fans argue that streaming prices are too high. Yet, these platforms are hitting cable TV viewership hard. To adapt, teams like the New York Knicks are streaming games on cable platforms to reach fans at home. So, what does this mean for Adam Silver? The audience is mainly not happy with how pricey watching a game can be and that too without being in the arena. “Blackouts for local markets SUCK how can you expect someone to pay so much money to watch NBA games,” an upset fan commented.
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Meanwhile, Adam Silver & Co.’s decision to reject TNT’s proposal for media rights is once again hitting the headlines. All thanks to the drastic decline in viewership, blasts from the past are hitting one after the other. It seemed a bit unexpected back in June when the NBA decided to join hands with Amazon on long-term arrangements. However, when the league came forth with a statement, rumors turned into reality.
Besides, the faces of Adam Silver’s plans—LeBron James and Stephen Curry—are in the twilight of their stellar careers. Bron, in his 22nd season, and Steph, in his 16th season, aren’t going to be around forever. And it’s only a matter of a few years before these legends hang their boots once and for all. Thus, with many new faces and a visible lack of promotion (as per fans), things do stand on stacky grounds.
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Adam Silver may have found the new faces of the NBA
Currently, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ main man Anthony Edwards, and Celtics giant Jayson Tatum are the top names in the league. Therefore, Adam Silver and the higher-ups of the NBA are trying their best to put the two of them on a similar pedestal like LeBron James and Steph Curry. However, Carmelo Anthony had once said JT doesn’t possess an aura like Ant-Man which is preventing him from being the face of the league. However, the fact that these up-and-coming stars are the future of the NBA is undeniable.
Moreover, the explosive game these hoopers bring to the floor is something that the NBA Commissioner needs at this point. With a failing global plan and a major decline in the league’s viewership, rising faces require more recognition. Fans have also complained about Silver’s league prioritizing high teams like the Warriors, Knicks, and Celtics. But midfield teams receive no spotlight even if they have good players who need the much-needed promotion.
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Adam Silver and everyone associated need to chalk out a plan to make things work for the NBA. The stakes are high and withdrawing ideas won’t be the ideal situation. Especially with the league’s expansion in mind and a global outreach in sight, viewership and audience experience should be one of the priorities. Ultimately, things come down to the quality of the game and how it’s presented to the ardent fans who are spending their hard-earned money to watch the sport. So, what’s the next step for Silver and Co.? What do you think?