According to the Sports Business Journal, the NBA’s television numbers dipped this 2018-19 campaign after a strong season of viewership in 2017-18. Among the biggest dip in ratings came from two of the league's biggest markets, the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls — two teams that finished at the bottom of the standings.
As expected, the Cleveland Cavaliers suffered the biggest drop in viewership at a whopping 58 percent after the departure of LeBron James and the expected backslide into them becoming one of the worst teams in the NBA with a record of 19-63.
Meanwhile, the Knicks had a 38 percent decline on MSG Network, while the Bulls saw their viewership fall by 24 percent on NBC Sports Chicago.
Of course, both of those teams finished on the bottom four of the league standings — perhaps, the biggest reason why there were little interest on them on their local networks.
Overall, the NBA saw a 4 percent decline in local ratings in the 2018-19 season, and national broadcasts on channels such as ABC, TNT and NBA TV fell by 5 percent year-over-year.
If the Knicks and Bulls land mammoth names in the 2019 NBA Draft, such as Zion Williamson or Ja Morant, both team’s ratings might skyrocket. The Knicks, especially, will be in contention for a huge increase if the rumors of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving teaming up in the Big Apple come to fruition.
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