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Adam Silver might have to rig the remaining games of the Eastern Conference Finals

Posted on 5/24/25 at 7:26 pm
Posted by Bench McElroy
Member since Nov 2009
34658 posts
Posted on 5/24/25 at 7:26 pm
Western Conference Finals is getting historically bad ratings. Imagine how awful the ratings will be for a Thunder/Pacers Finals.

quote:

For the second-straight game, the NBA Western Conference Finals delivered a four-year viewership low.

Thursday’s Timberwolves-Thunder NBA Western Conference Finals Game 2 averaged a 2.7 rating and 5.16 million viewers on ESPN, falling below Game 1 to rank as the least-watched conference final game since Hawks-Bucks Game 5 in the COVID-delayed 2021 postseason (4.92M).

Excluding the COVID-delayed postseasons of 2020 and 2021, it was the least-watched conference final game since Raptors-Bucks Game 2 in 2019 (4.39M) and the least-watched game of the Western Conference Finals since Spurs-Grizzlies Game 3 in 2013 (4.94M).

Ratings declined 14% and viewership 18% from last year’s Mavericks-Timberwolves Game 2 on TNT and truTV (3.2, 6.27M). Compared to last year’s conference final on the ESPN networks, ratings fell 11% and viewership 9% from a 3.1 and 5.64 million for Pacers-Celtics.

The league-leading Thunder have played in 12 windows this postseason that can be compared to last year. Of those, eight have declined.


LINK
This post was edited on 5/24/25 at 7:28 pm
Posted by Madking
Member since Apr 2016
59749 posts
Posted on 5/24/25 at 7:28 pm to
Call Scott Foster, he’ll get it done
Posted by dukke v
PLUTO
Member since Jul 2006
213905 posts
Posted on 5/24/25 at 7:39 pm to
They drag it all out to long.. the finals don’t even start till June 5th…
Posted by MrLSU
Yellowstone, Val d'isere
Member since Jan 2004
28302 posts
Posted on 5/24/25 at 7:48 pm to
The NBA is on a constant trajectory down primarily because of the college NIL money. No one follows players in college anymore because they are rarely at a school for more than 1 year. Lack of emotional investment by fans in college players moving up means a significant drop off in new fans to the game. Couple NIL with a significant infusion of top talent out of Europe flooding the game (which is actually good IMO).

There is also a severe lack of role models playing on NBA teams.

Terrible officiating.

and tie all that in with sports betting and you now have an entertainment sport that the public clearly sees is fixed.

Posted by JamalMurry27
Tennessee Titans
Member since May 2023
5647 posts
Posted on 5/24/25 at 7:48 pm to
Indiana sweeping the knicks bruh
Posted by Patfic15
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2018
3923 posts
Posted on 5/24/25 at 7:53 pm to
The NBA chose its fate.
Posted by Madking
Member since Apr 2016
59749 posts
Posted on 5/24/25 at 8:12 pm to
They’ve become a reactionary league that doesn’t nurture the game and has a cash grab mentality.
Posted by JamalMurry27
Tennessee Titans
Member since May 2023
5647 posts
Posted on 5/24/25 at 8:30 pm to
I think Oklahoma City still doesnt have that nba team legacy vibe that others do. I dont even mean lakers or celtics and i realize they have had great teams nearly reach the finals but durant and westbrook were known to average people. A casual quite possibly doesnt even know SGA. it doesnt help that both teams have roughly the same colors and the twolves are about as blah as a franchise can be. I would expect better numbers with thunder pacers. Pacers at least have a history and maybe some fans watching the knicks series see that indiana is fun to watch. I miss the dynasties.
Posted by Madking
Member since Apr 2016
59749 posts
Posted on 5/24/25 at 8:35 pm to
You’re right and that kind of bleeds into MrLSU’s point about not creating name recognition in college. I believe we’re in a transitional period where the older AllNBA guys are aging out and this new crop is starting to emerge but this is really the first era of unknowns to be at the forefront of the league.
Posted by Allthatfades
Mississippi
Member since Aug 2014
8042 posts
Posted on 5/24/25 at 9:52 pm to
Idk but Game 3’s ratings tonight will drag it down further. That game was over before halftime
Posted by dukke v
PLUTO
Member since Jul 2006
213905 posts
Posted on 5/24/25 at 9:56 pm to
And just wait… if the pacers win the next 2 as does OKC that means both series by the 28. Have to wait a week for game one, then they don’t play game 2 of the final until 3 days later without having to travel. It’s like they don’t care about ratings…
Posted by Kracka
Lafayette, Louisiana
Member since Aug 2004
41669 posts
Posted on 5/24/25 at 9:58 pm to
The only people who want parity in pro sports are the fans of the teams who never win anything. The viewers at home want to see blue bloods battle it out in the playoffs.
Posted by FLTech
the A
Member since Sep 2017
21783 posts
Posted on 5/24/25 at 10:06 pm to
I personally think that there are way too many regular season games.

They should have a 60 game season
Posted by Revorising
Member since Jan 2013
805 posts
Posted on 5/24/25 at 10:19 pm to
Very very well spoken. I never thought about NIL and how it affects the incoming pro players.
Posted by Geauxgurt
Member since Sep 2013
11957 posts
Posted on 5/24/25 at 10:24 pm to
You can thank SGA and the officials for this as much as anyone. Allowing OKC to get away with basically raping players in game 7 vs Denver showed how bad it was going to be.

Game 1 did not disappoint wi th SGA flopping like a little bitch everywhere.

Thus, people are just out and not interested in watching that bullshite. Saw it again in game 2 so they were not wrong to just not watch.
Posted by Snoop Dawg
Member since Sep 2009
2618 posts
Posted on 5/24/25 at 10:48 pm to
Rig the west. OKC should never had the NBA or any other major professional sport. Trailer park garbage.
Posted by Flick007
Member since Dec 2023
166 posts
Posted on 5/24/25 at 11:08 pm to
quote:

The NBA is on a constant trajectory down primarily because of the college NIL money. No one follows players in college anymore because they are rarely at a school for more than 1 year.


It seems like NIL money would give at least some motivation to stay in college more than one year. What’s the correlation between NIL and players leaving early? Or the correlation between NIL and bad NBA ratings?

To me, the NBA switching to a three point shooting contest has taken away athleticism as a focus.

Luka, Giannis, Tatum, Jokic and Curry are all eliminated, so that hurts ratings. Those have all won championships or gotten to the finals in the last four years. Superstars bring ratings. If the Knicks don’t turn it around ratings will continue to be awful.
Posted by 50_Tiger
Arlington TX
Member since Jan 2016
42057 posts
Posted on 5/24/25 at 11:14 pm to
The NBA refusing to promote the other 24 teams in the league has placed them in this position.
Posted by SportsGuyNOLA
New Orleans, LA
Member since May 2014
20110 posts
Posted on 5/24/25 at 11:37 pm to
quote:

They should have a 60 game season


54

And start it mid-December
Posted by castorinho
13623 posts
Member since Nov 2010
84642 posts
Posted on 5/25/25 at 1:08 am to
Dp
This post was edited on 5/25/25 at 1:10 am
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