The woke, China-loving NBA’s TV ratings for its championship finals were dismal this year, according to the data.
The NBA Finals averaged 11.6 million viewers — the fourth-lowest in 30 years. The average is down six percent from the 12.4 million for the 2022 finals, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Granted that 11 million viewers were far higher than any other show on TV this week, but it is still a terrible low compared to past NBA seasons.
The Reporter added: “The 2023 series ranks in the bottom five among NBA Finals viewership since total viewers began to be regularly tracked in the late 1980s. It’s ahead of the pandemic-affected series of 2020 (7.45 million viewers, the all-time low) and 2021 (9.91 million) and those in 2003 (9.29 million) and 2007 (9.86 million).”
Nikola Jokic, #15 of the Denver Nuggets, shoots a free throw during game 5 of the 2023 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat on June 12, 2023, at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. (Jamie Schwaberow/NBAE via Getty Images)
By comparison, college football swamped the NBA’s ratings this year. The National Championship game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the TCU Horned Frogs — which was not very exciting since TCU lost 65 – 7 — earned 17.2 viewers. That game was even the lowest-rated college matchup since 1999, and it still swamped the NBA, Outkick noted.
If you want basketball to basketball comparison, the women’s college basketball championship this year earned 12.6 million as LSU faced Iowa. So, even college women earned more viewers than the professional men of the NBA. Ouch.
Angel Reese, #10 of the LSU Lady Tigers, reacts towards Caitlin Clark, #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes during the fourth quarter during the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament championship game at American Airlines Center on April 02, 2023, in Dallas, Texas. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Would ratings have been better if the championship had either the L.A. Lakers, the Golden State Warriors, or the Boston Celtics? Maybe. But what we got sure didn’t bring the fans to their TV sets.
Of all pro sports, the NBA is probably the most woke. You’ll likely recall that during the “bubble” year, the league had social justice slogans on the sidelines. Players were also encouraged to add social justice nonsense to their jerseys.
But perhaps worse than all that meaningless virtue signaling is the league’s partnership with China, one of the world’s most oppressive, genocidal, dangerous, and racist nations.
The NBA and its various owners have over $10 billion wrapped up in Chinese interests even as the league and players parade around calling the U.S.A. a racist and evil nation.
It is hard to say if this year’s low viewership is a response to the NBA’s disgusting wokeness or just a matchup that bored fans. Whatever lies at the root, the numbers can’t be a welcome sign for the NBA.
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