Let's Talk About Basketball, Not Ratings

Let's talk about basketball, not ratings

‘‘How a small-market NBA Finals affects the bottom line.” “Can small-market Finals teams punch above their weight in the ratings?” “History shows Pacers vs. Thunder may draw record-low ratings.”Those were just the headlines. And those were before Game 1.It has become a thing leading into the NBA’s latest iteration of its championship series. The talk of numbers, of eyeballs — or lack of them — affixed to these final NBA games, of ratings and vie…

Adam Silver on NBA ratings discourse: 'It seems a little unusual'

NBA ratings discourse often takes on a life of its own. And for some people, even outside the writers at this fine sports media blog, ratings discourse seems to be of more interest than discourse about the actual games. When faced with a question about why that is, NBA commissioner Adam Silver concurred, but also suggested that the obsession over ratings is a little strange. Appearing at a press conference ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Silv…