NBA Ratings Suffer

LeBron James' first NBA Finals appearance marked the lowest-rated prime-time opening championship game in league history.

The Cavaliers' 85-76 loss to San Antonio Thursday night, which aired on ABC, was watched by about 9.2 million people in the U.S., scoring a 6.3 percent rating, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The ABC program also failed to win the night, losing to Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance," which drew about 11.1 million viewers for a 6.9 rating out of the 111.4 million U.S. households with televisions, Nielsen said.

Previously, the lowest-rated opening NBA championship game was in 2003, when the Spurs and New Jersey Nets drew 6.4 percent of television households. Last year's matchup between the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks had a 7.7 rating for its opener, while the Spurs-Pistons series in 2005 opened with a 7.2.

"The matchup is really dependent on how well LeBron plays and how many games they get," Neal Pilson, a former president of CBS Sports, said in a telephone interview about the ratings.

"If San Antonio wins Game 2 easily, then the public may see this as a non-competitive series. Game 2 could be more important than Game 1."

Game 2 is Sunday at 6 p.m.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2003740982_nbanotes09.html

Finals ratings since 1976


1976 CELTICS VS SUNS 11.5
1977 BLAZERS VS SIXERS 12.7
1978 BULLETS VS SONICS 9.9
1979 SONICS VS BULLETS 7.2
1980 LAKERS VS SIXERS 8.0
1981 CELTICS VS ROCKETS 6.7
1982 LAKERS VS SIXERS 13.0
1983 SIXERS VS LAKERS 12.3
1984 CELTICS VS LAKERS 12.3
1985 LAKERS VS CELTICS 13.7
1986 CELTICS VS ROCKETS 14.1
1987 LAKERS VS CELTICS 15.9
1988 LAKERS VS PISTONS 15.4
1989 PISTONS VS LAKERS 15.1
1990 PISTONS VS BLAZERS 12.3
1991 BULLS VS LAKERS 15.8
1992 BULLS VS BLAZERS 14.2
1993 BULLS VS SUNS 17.9
1994 ROCKETS VS KNICKS 12.4
1995 ROCKETS VS MAGIC 13.9
1996 BULLS VS SONICS 16.7
1997 BULLS VS JAZZ 16.8
1998 BULLS VS JAZZ 18.7
1999 SPURS VS KNICKS 11.3
2000 LAKERS VS PACERS 11.6
2001 LAKERS VS SIXERS 12.1
2002 LAKERS VS NETS 10.2
2003 SPURS VS NETS 6.5
2004 PISTONS VS LAKERS 11.5
2005 SPURS VS PISTONS 8.2
2006 HEAT VS MAVERICKS 8.5

look Finals rating are only good when MJ is playing in the league...

For me the NBA has too many games. Too many games in the regular season and too many games in the playoffs (and the early round playoffs are played at odd times). So many games that players, even in the playoffs, that it looses the intensity and excitement I'm looking for.duxup

That is why I get so sick of baseball! It has WAY too many games and by the time the playoffs roll around, I couldn't care less about it... Basketball isn't too bad but I will say they have really weird schedules especially during the playoffs.

For me the NBA has too many games. Too many games in the regular season and too many games in the playoffs (and the early round playoffs are played at odd times). So many games that players, even in the playoffs, that it looses the intensity and excitement I'm looking for.duxup

When Jordan, Bird and Magic played it didn't matter. If the product is good people will watch. Remember that the NBA is a form of entertainment but guess what, the Spurs aren't entertainning. I don't care what people say, Spurs are great I know, but they just aren't exciting or entertaining...watching dry paint in a cell is less boring than to see the Spurs dominate the East. So much for the "Detroit vs.Spurs would kill the ratings, NBA needs teh LeBron" well guess the problem isn't the Pistons or maybe LeBron isn't the savior we thought.

Ratings in general are all going down. It's not just when the NBA or the NHL are on, it's everything.People are just becoming less interested with TV.But for me, I'm watching the Finals with much enjoyment even though Detroit lost.

[QUOTE="duxup"]For me the NBA has too many games. Too many games in the regular season and too many games in the playoffs (and the early round playoffs are played at odd times). So many games that players, even in the playoffs, that it looses the intensity and excitement I'm looking for.Master_Live

When Jordan, Bird and Magic played it didn't matter. If the product is good people will watch. Remember that the NBA is a form of entertainment but guess what, the Spurs aren't entertainning. I don't care what people say, Spurs are great I know, but they just aren't exciting or entertaining...watching dry paint in a cell is less boring than to see the Spurs dominate the East. So much for the "Detroit vs.Spurs would kill the ratings, NBA needs teh LeBron" well guess the problem isn't the Pistons or maybe LeBron isn't the savior we thought.

Waiting for the reincarnation of Jordan, Bird, and Magic to improve the playoffs seems awfully silly. Shorten the season and the playoffs, bring back some genuine intensity.

Like someone said earlier, there is just too many games. The playoffs started late april, and the championship just started 3 days ago. People will stop caring. It just loses all meaning. Shorten the damn playoffs. Dont have so many teams come in. Instead of 8, have 6 teams make itor something like that.Not to mention, its the spurs. Nobody likes the spurs....theyre boring as hell. I think its sad that a championship for a major sports league is getting beat out by a dance show. You think thesuper bowl would get beat out by "so you think you can dance"?

Also, personally, im just not that interested in basketball as i used to be. But thats just something personal.

why do teams have so many days off? there were times when a team plays Wednesday and their next game is 3-4 days later...comon...teams in baseball plays almost everyday

and why is game one of the finals on thurs and then game two is on sunday...that's too long of a wait

[QUOTE="Master_Live"]

[QUOTE="duxup"]For me the NBA has too many games. Too many games in the regular season and too many games in the playoffs (and the early round playoffs are played at odd times). So many games that players, even in the playoffs, that it looses the intensity and excitement I'm looking for.duxup

When Jordan, Bird and Magic played it didn't matter. If the product is good people will watch. Remember that the NBA is a form of entertainment but guess what, the Spurs aren't entertainning. I don't care what people say, Spurs are great I know, but they just aren't exciting or entertaining...watching dry paint in a cell is less boring than to see the Spurs dominate the East. So much for the "Detroit vs.Spurs would kill the ratings, NBA needs teh LeBron" well guess the problem isn't the Pistons or maybe LeBron isn't the savior we thought.

Waiting for the reincarnation of Jordan, Bird, and Magic to improve the playoffs seems awfully silly. Shorten the season and the playoffs, bring back some genuine intensity.

Genuine intensity? Are you serious? I found each playoff series thus far intense except for the finals.

There are too many games in the MLB (which in all honesty I think is a joke, I refuse to watch it). Not only that, the NBA has so many teams, have a well balanced play of every team from both conferences you need that many games.

If anything, I disagree with the gaps between games. Every second day a series should continue.

Jordan, Bird and Magic are not needed. There are new players who are just as fun to watch, and there are better "teams" now rather than raw individual talent.

If we have to discuss ratings, the series is lopsided, the Spurs will roll with the series right to their 4th championship. People don't want to watch that. They want to see an underdog team comeout and pull an upset (Cavs/ Pistons game 6).

All leagues are suffering, though I think the NBA has been at its best this year compared to the last 4 or 5 seasons, and hopefully it'll continue to get better.

yep soccer(football) was on.. i'd rather not be botherd with the finals..

too may people had it in stone that the cavs were going to get crushed... whats the point in watching

Finals ratings since 1976


1976 CELTICS VS SUNS 11.5
1977 BLAZERS VS SIXERS 12.7
1978 BULLETS VS SONICS 9.9
1979 SONICS VS BULLETS 7.2
1980 LAKERS VS SIXERS 8.0
1981 CELTICS VS ROCKETS 6.7
1982 LAKERS VS SIXERS 13.0
1983 SIXERS VS LAKERS 12.3
1984 CELTICS VS LAKERS 12.3
1985 LAKERS VS CELTICS 13.7
1986 CELTICS VS ROCKETS 14.1
1987 LAKERS VS CELTICS 15.9
1988 LAKERS VS PISTONS 15.4
1989 PISTONS VS LAKERS 15.1
1990 PISTONS VS BLAZERS 12.3
1991 BULLS VS LAKERS 15.8
1992 BULLS VS BLAZERS 14.2
1993 BULLS VS SUNS 17.9
1994 ROCKETS VS KNICKS 12.4
1995 ROCKETS VS MAGIC 13.9
1996 BULLS VS SONICS 16.7
1997 BULLS VS JAZZ 16.8
1998 BULLS VS JAZZ 18.7
1999 SPURS VS KNICKS 11.3
2000 LAKERS VS PACERS 11.6
2001 LAKERS VS SIXERS 12.1
2002 LAKERS VS NETS 10.2
2003 SPURS VS NETS 6.5
2004 PISTONS VS LAKERS 11.5
2005 SPURS VS PISTONS 8.2
2006 HEAT VS MAVERICKS 8.5

look Finals rating are only good when MJ is playing in the league...

yrag31

No one will have the same impact that Michael Jordian had in the NBA, no one, not even LeBron.

And on a personal note, even though LeBron is good, he's not fun to watch like MJ was. Every move Jordan did was amazing and graceful. LeBron's moves are rough and rigid. Even though he gets the ball in the hoop, it's not as fun to watch as MJ would make a basket.

The NBA just isn't the same since Jordan left, that's for sure.

why do teams have so many days off? there were times when a team plays Wednesday and their next game is 3-4 days later...comon...teams in baseball plays almost everyday

and why is game one of the finals on thurs and then game two is on sunday...that's too long of a wait

FreeStylez

You must not play any sports making a statement like this. Baseball players can play almost every day because they spend most of the the time standing around/sitting in the dugout and waiting (but even then, you notice that pitchers will only start a game once every 4-5 days). In basketball, there's constant running, jumping, etc; the player's bodies can't take the kind of stress on a daily basis (ever noticed how badly teams struggle when they have to play 2 games 2 nights in a row?)

[QUOTE="yrag31"]

Finals ratings since 1976


1976 CELTICS VS SUNS 11.5
1977 BLAZERS VS SIXERS 12.7
1978 BULLETS VS SONICS 9.9
1979 SONICS VS BULLETS 7.2
1980 LAKERS VS SIXERS 8.0
1981 CELTICS VS ROCKETS 6.7
1982 LAKERS VS SIXERS 13.0
1983 SIXERS VS LAKERS 12.3
1984 CELTICS VS LAKERS 12.3
1985 LAKERS VS CELTICS 13.7
1986 CELTICS VS ROCKETS 14.1
1987 LAKERS VS CELTICS 15.9
1988 LAKERS VS PISTONS 15.4
1989 PISTONS VS LAKERS 15.1
1990 PISTONS VS BLAZERS 12.3
1991 BULLS VS LAKERS 15.8
1992 BULLS VS BLAZERS 14.2
1993 BULLS VS SUNS 17.9
1994 ROCKETS VS KNICKS 12.4
1995 ROCKETS VS MAGIC 13.9
1996 BULLS VS SONICS 16.7
1997 BULLS VS JAZZ 16.8
1998 BULLS VS JAZZ 18.7
1999 SPURS VS KNICKS 11.3
2000 LAKERS VS PACERS 11.6
2001 LAKERS VS SIXERS 12.1
2002 LAKERS VS NETS 10.2
2003 SPURS VS NETS 6.5
2004 PISTONS VS LAKERS 11.5
2005 SPURS VS PISTONS 8.2
2006 HEAT VS MAVERICKS 8.5

look Finals rating are only good when MJ is playing in the league...

ASK_Story

No one will have the same impact that Michael Jordian had in the NBA, no one, not even LeBron.

And on a personal note, even though LeBron is good, he's not fun to watch like MJ was. Every move Jordan did was amazing and graceful. LeBron's moves are rough and rigid. Even though he gets the ball in the hoop, it's not as fun to watch as MJ would make a basket.

The NBA just isn't the same since Jordan left, that's for sure.

Trust me if the Suns would have made it, ratings would have at least been at 10, everyone including me loves the Suns, and I think Steve Nash has that grace you are indeed talking about.

No offense to anyone, but why do you care about the ratings? I see lots of people complaining about how the spurs are bad for ratings.. Okay, are the ratings directly effecting you?

If you think the spurs, or any team, are boring, go watch the globetrotters. That should keep your A.D.D. brain occupied.