NBA's Postseason Schedule Looks Like A Ratings Nightmare For Adam Silver
It's sad to see how badly the NBA product has taken a step back. NBA postseason action as late as the 2010s was appointment viewing.
Now, more NBA fans are falling out of love with the NBA Playoffs.
READ: Lakers Won NBA’s In-Season Tournament And No One Knew How To Act
With less momentum year-to-year, the 2024 NBA Playoffs are destined to fall into a ratings pit.
The only question is, how low will those TV numbers go?
This year's NBA Playoffs play-in tournament (remember that?) and first-round schedule were finalized Sunday.
Early ratings forecasts already look bearish for a league on a steady decline in relevancy.
As previously reported on OutKick, the 2024 NBA season's opening night drew a nine-year low in ratings, adding to concerns of waning interest in the Association from basketball fans.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks to the media. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Looking at the upcoming schedule, the Eastern Conference continues to be a lousy product, culminating in two teams with losing records currently in position for a first-round postseason series.
Then there are injuries, which are already giving NBA Commissioner Adam Silver a headache for the postseason. Injuries and a lack of star power will cripple ratings for the Eastern playoff games.
Matchups such as Bucks versus Pacers could fall entirely flat because of injury. Giannis Antetokounmpo will possibly be sidelined for the first round. Giannis and last year's MVP Joel Embiid are two major names headlining injuries in the East.
As recently as the 2000s, NBA playoff games generated enough public interest to make the league popular. The NBA had star power and weekend programming power with teams like the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers, Steve Nash's Phoenix Suns, and Tim Duncan's Spurs. Since 2020, casual audiences, and even longtime fans, aren't sticking around for NBA postseason action.
NBA First-Round / Play-in Schedule
East:
1 Boston Celtics vs. eighth-seed team
2 Knicks vs. seventh-seed team
3 Bucks vs. 6. Pacers
4 Cavaliers vs. 5 Magic
7 76ers vs. 8 Heat
9 Bulls vs. 10 Hawks
West:
1 Thunder vs. eighth-seeded team
2 Nuggets vs. seventh-seeded team
3 Wolves vs. 6 Suns
4 Clippers vs. 5 Mavericks
7 Pelicans vs. 8 Lakers
9 Kings vs. 10 Warriors
No Face, Or Interest, In Next Generation of the NBA
The NBA Finals ratings have declined for the past four years, compounding a looming question of whether they have a new star to promote their league.
The NBA thought they had their next phenom with Zion Williamson out of Duke in 2019. An oft-injured Pelicans star, Williamson hasn't drawn near the box-office expectations for the Duke star. Wiliamson's Pels will take on LeBron's Lakers in the play-in. If that matchup doesn't fly with audiences, the NBA will have to accept that as a critical red flag in terms of relevancy.
Zion Williamson and the Pelicans have been through highs and lows. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images).
The West boasts a more redeemable slate in the first round, with all 10 postseason slots filled by winning teams.
OutKick Hot Mic discussed this week whether the WNBA may one day usurp the NBA in relevancy. At least in the WNBA's case, Iowa's Caitlin Clark is poised to be the face of the league, bringing massive star power along with her.
After the recent NCAA women's college tournament ratings challenged the NBA, more questions or skepticism arose regarding its longevity.
MLB games are also scoring higher audience numbers than recent NBA postseason matchups.
The 2022-23 NBA Finals averaged 11.6 million viewers — the league's fourth-lowest total in the last 30 years. Denver and Miami's five-game Finals series last season underperformed against 2022's Golden State versus Boston Finals matchup (12.4 million) and barely passed 2021's Bucks versus Suns Finals (10.8 million).
Adam Silver previously spoke on the league's concern about falling ratings.
"Now, of course, we're paying attention to the fact that not only is the basic cable universe decreasing, but the demographic of that audience is changing as well," Silver told Yahoo Sports. "It's beginning to look less like America — older and less diverse — and the NBA has a particularly young and diverse audience."
"So we recognize that, in some ways, the decline of cable has disproportionately impacted the NBA," he continued. "Our young audience isn't subscribing to cable, and those fans aren't finding our games."
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