Didn’t realize the NBA playoffs had ended.
On the upside, we will stop hearing about the NBA for several months.
TITLE: Lakers Win, Ratings Tank in Unbelievable Fashion, and the NBA Cries Uncle
SOURCE: https://www.redstate.com/bonchie/2020/10/12/lakers-win-ratings-tank-and-the-nba-cries-uncle/
(EXCERPT)
If Lebron James wins his 4th championship but no one watches, did it really happen?
The Los Angeles Lakers won their 17th NBA title last night, defeating the Miami Heat in six games. People flooded the streets in a manner that will no doubt be ignored because its not a Trump rally, but overall, the ratings for these finals have been so bad as to belabor belief, and we aren’t talking a 20-30% drop, which would be damaging enough.
Here are the numbers. Though we don’t have Game 6 numbers yet, Game 5 drew only 5.7 million viewers. In 2019, that number was an astonishingly higher 18.5 million viewers. While the NFL has seen some decline during the prime time games (though match ups like the Saints vs. Buccaneers drew increases), it’s been marginal at best and possibly explained by the pandemic. College football is continuing to do well during its return. Even golf saw exploding ratings when they came back from hiatus earlier in the year.
But the NBA has not just tanked, they have tanked in epic fashion. There is no other explanation for it than they got woke and went broke. If this was about streaming or COVID, all the other sports leagues would be seeing similar implosions, yet it’s only the NBA. That’s not to say other leagues haven’t dabbled in social justice warrioring as well, but the NBA has been far more in your face and condescending about it, led by the arrogant ignorance of their star player Lebron James.
As Brad Slager reported last week, that has led the NBA to cry uncle. These were Commissioner Adam Silver’s words on the matter.