Outkick and Clay Travis have blasted the NBA’s TV ratings since the league restarted from their COVID-19 induced hiatus and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has regularly fought back, defending the sport’s popularity.
On Saturday, Travis and Cuban again engaged in a Twitter discussion over the NBA’s ratings, with the Mavs owner claiming the league is doing fine in reaching their target audience, despite the 40% decline in linear viewership.
Ratings are down for the NBA, that’s inarguable, but the league is also operating under unique circumstances of a bubble, no fans, and a near four-month delay. Travis likes to highlight the ratings success of FOX News talk shows hosted by Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity, depicting people’s appetite for political opinions. But Travis also likes to blame the NBA’s engagement in political and social issues as the reason for their recent ratings downswing.
Political shows are in its peak season, four years in the making, whereas the NBA is usually tipping off their less appealing preseason right now. FOX News benefits from having little competition in the realm of conservative coverage and a particularly luring election elevates political intrigue.
Does Travis really believe NBA ratings would be better if they removed ‘Black Lives Matter’ from their court? Does the American NBA fan honestly care if LeBron James supports human rights in China? From my own experience as an NBA fan, I watched the playoffs a lot more intently in May and June than I have in August and September. Political and social reasons have not factored into my viewing habits, but timing has.
Where Travis absolutely deserves credit is his willingness to discuss anything with anyone of any viewpoint. Cuban likely won’t take Travis up on his offer to discuss the NBA on his radio show, but I have no doubt the offer is genuine.