Screentime
NBA Ratings Decline Points to Broader Trouble in TV Watching
- Fewer people tune in to TV in general, even as news sees surge
- Racial composition of audience doesn’t change with protests
The National Basketball Association finals, which concluded Sunday with the Los Angeles Lakers’ victory over the Miami Heat, averaged 7.5 million viewers on Walt Disney Co.’s ABC over the six games, a 51% decline from the same event last year.
The league struggled to attract viewers after a pandemic-delayed season that had the pros playing four months later than they normally would. The logjam of sports had LeBron James and Jimmy Butler competing for attention with football and playoff baseball.