Clay Travis Roasts Mark Cuban Over NBA's Falling TV Ratings
Dallas Mavericks billionaire Mark Cuban wants to keep ignoring the facts about the declining state of the NBA.
While Cuban is used to tripping on his own claims and logic, his undying faith in the NBA's relevance and ratings is quickly losing him some ground in an argument with OutKick's Clay Travis.
The conversation on NBA ratings returned on Monday as Clay reignited an old rivalry between him and Cuban, concerning the NBA's problems with audiences.
For years, Clay has argued that the vestiges of the NBA’s run in 2020 tanked the league's appeal as it prioritized social issues over the product.
DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 22: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban reacts during a timeout in the game against the Golden State Warriors at American Airlines Center on March 22, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
Cuban, the now-former owner of the Mavericks, must face the music as the ratings trickle in for this year’s Finals series (featuring the Mavs).
And the data looks bad for the league.
As shared by Clay via X, Friday’s Game 4 between the Celtics and Mavericks generated the second-lowest viewership for a Finals Game 4, ever, averaging 9.62 million viewers.
"Celtics-Mavs Friday night had only 9.62 million viewers," Clay shared, "the second-lowest Game 4 viewership in NBA history. (Only covid year game 4 was lower.) This goes all the way back to the Magic-Bird era. Thoughts Mark Cuban? Or are you too busy telling all of us how mentally sharp Biden is?"
(Cuban's a Biden guy, by the way.)
Clay added, "This is a pretty big deal because not only is the NBA still setting ratings lows, but many sports are setting all time highs. Including men’s and women’s college basketball this year. If we had an honest sports media, they’d be writing about this like crazy."
Clay calls out the concerning data. But Cuban doesn't view the declining numbers as an issue in the big picture.
Mark Cuban has been bullish on the NBA's audience and he takes no issue with sucking up to China (the NBA's CCP cash cow), so he and Clay disagree on quite a bit concerning the league.
More recently, the 2022-23 NBA Finals averaged 11.6 million viewers — the league’s fourth-lowest total in the last 30 years.
Cuban refuted Clay's claims about the NBA's declining relevance before opting to sell his majority ownership of the Dallas Mavericks last year.
Fans perceived Cuban's move as hypocritical.
It's difficult to tell if Cuban truly believes in the NBA's future or is lying through his teeth.
Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
Send a message: alejandro.avila@outkick.com