TNT flagship show inside the nba This time of year is at its best, as fans can watch Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Ernie Johnson and Shaquille O’neal do their job but what happens when the star nbaThe U.S.’s biggest and best studio show comes to TV to tell fans why, at a time when the league’s ratings are declining and casual fans are in dire need of tuning in, why not watch a playoff game? Well thanks to Barclayy and his big mouth, it’s the league’s latest dilemma.
Telling people not to watch bad basketball may be ridiculous, but it’s also bad for business.
“The only thing exciting about the Eastern Conference is the Knicks against the Cavaliers. That’s the only thing exciting,” Barkley said Tuesday night. “America, don’t be silly, they want you to watch these games – Philly , Boston, Milwaukee, are head and shoulders above these bombs in the Eastern Conference. Now the Knicks and Cleveland, this could be a really good series.”
Even if he is right…
Regardless of the value or veracity of Barkley’s opinion – it doesn’t take away from the fact that he told millions of viewers not to watch the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, when that’s the exact opposite of what the NBA needs right now.
Ironically, that same day, the league implemented a plan to reduce spending and limit recruiting “for the remainder of the fiscal year due to economic constraints.” according to ESPN,
“Like other businesses in the US and globally, the league office is taking steps to reduce macroeconomic pressures and expenses,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass told ESPN in a statement.
numbers don’t lie
If you didn’t know, People aren’t watching the NBA like before, According to SportsMediaWatch, the 2023 NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, “averaged a combined 2.2 rating and 4.59 million viewers on TNT and TBS, making it easily the lowest-rated and least-viewed edition of the game.” became. Previous lows were a 3.1 (2021 and 2022) and nearly six million viewers (2021).
The NBA’s problems are bigger than fans who prefer not to watch a glorified pickup game. People aren’t even watching the games that will determine a champion. last year, the The NFL was responsible for 82 of the 100 most-watched US broadcasts., Five of the top 100 were ranked in college football, four in political programming, three in the World Cup, and two in college basketball. The NBA was unable to make the top 100, as Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals came in at number 108.
David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, said in November that “never forget it”.we don’t have nbaIn response to how expensive things could get if the NBA’s media rights deal expires after the 2024-25 season.
It’s as if Barclay and Zaslav want the network to fail.
TV deals expiring soon
According to AthleticNBA to receive $24 billion from Turner and ESPN when their TV deals expire after 2024-20205 seasons. Hopefully the league is looking around somewhere $75 billion in his new deal. According to Tim Basinger at AxiosSports leagues will ultimately have to decide between getting the most money out of a deal or reaching the biggest audience – as they believe the days of doing both are no more.
The NBA has decisions to make, and the guy running the network isn’t making them a priority, while the biggest name on that same network — Charles Barkley — is telling people not to watch the game.
There’s an old African-American saying that, “Sometimes, it’s your own people.” This applies here.