NBA viewership skyrockets by whopping 34% after blockbuster Martin Luther King Day games

Last season, the NBA saw a massive dip in their ratings throughout the season. While the COVID-19 crisis was one reason, reports were unable to pinpoint a reason. Some blamed the strong Black Lives Matter movement support, while some spoke about the Golden State Warriors' poor performance. However, as the 2020-21 season began, ratings have apparently gone up. 

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NBA viewership sees an increase since the Martin Luther King Day

According to recent reports, NBA TV ratings have gone up. This is an increase since last year, and has been observed since the NBA MLK Day. The league played 27 games through the Martin Luther King Day, which has apparently resulted in a 34% increase across TNT, ESPN and ABC. This percentage is compared to the 2019-20 season (per Nielsen Media Research) – 2 million average (2020-21) vs 1.49 average viewers (2019-20). 

This year, TNT had a tripleheader coverage – Phoenix Suns vs Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks vs Brooklyn Nets and Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers. Per reports, they brought in 1.73 million viewers, which is 32% more than the 2019-20 season. Reports added that the Warriors and Lakers game saw a 90% increase in the same window, while viewers who watched through the NBA League Pass went up by 46%. 

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The NBA League Pass (offered on the site and app), has apparently added 18% of viewership since last season on the same platform.  Social media engagements has also seen an increase. Reports also observed that ratings for this season had gone up last year itself. As per USA TODAY Sports and other media outlets, the league saw a 67% increase in viewership as compared to the 2020-21 season. Christmas Day alone saw a 10% hike in the viewer count. 

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The league's problems started last year, only worsening throughout the NBA hiatus. The NBA restart – including the finals – saw a steep decline in ratings despite matchups which included the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. As per Sports Media Watch's Jon Lewis, Lakers vs Denver Nuggets Game 2 became the least-watched NBA Conference Finals game since 2003.

Yet, it was observed that various sports saw a decline last year – including NHL playoffs, US Open (golf and tennis) and the Kentucky Derby. Not only did the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but people also saw an overlap in the sports calendar. 

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(Image credits: AP)