NFL draft tops the NBA playoffs in ratings (1 Viewer)

[cr8f]

This is not good news for the NBA. Preliminary ratings show that television viewers preferred watching NFL prospects walk to a podium last night over seeing NBA postseason baskebtall action.

According to Bloomberg, ESPN's coverage of the NFL draft outdrew the two NBA playoffs on TNT last night. An ESPN spokesman said the draft was seen in 5.4% of households in the top 56 U.S. markets. A TNT rep said the Cavaliers-Bulls game had a 2.1 rating, and the later Lakers-Thunder playoff earned a 3.0.

Those are all preliminary numbers. An Associated Press story this afternoon said the overnight ESPN number was 5.47. But the draft also was shown on NFL Network, where AP says it drew a 0.95 rating, for a combined total of 6.42.

Anyway you cut it, that's a rough night for the NBA, considering it had superstars LeBron James and Kobe Bryant playing.

-- Tom Weir

 

[Homer @ RJ]

<yawn> Of course the first round of the NFL Draft in primetime is going to get better numbers than first round NBA playoff games. Anyone who tries to spin this as "bad news" for the NBA doesn't have a clue.

Exactly.Hmm, game 3 of a series (Cavs-Bulls) in the first round that everybody knows who will win the series? Or the first-round of the draft, that is a great party experience and the chance to see your favorite team re-load/re-build?

 

[ceo3west]

What is the NBA?

 

[Phurfur]

<yawn> Of course the first round of the NFL Draft in primetime is going to get better numbers than first round NBA playoff games. Anyone who tries to spin this as "bad news" for the NBA doesn't have a clue.

Exactly.Hmm, game 3 of a series (Cavs-Bulls) in the first round that everybody knows who will win the series? Or the first-round of the draft, that is a great party experience and the chance to see your favorite team re-load/re-build?

Well it's not good for the NBA!

 

[Homer @ RJ]

<yawn> Of course the first round of the NFL Draft in primetime is going to get better numbers than first round NBA playoff games. Anyone who tries to spin this as "bad news" for the NBA doesn't have a clue.

:( Exactly.Hmm, game 3 of a series (Cavs-Bulls) in the first round that everybody knows who will win the series? Or the first-round of the draft, that is a great party experience and the chance to see your favorite team re-load/re-build?

Well it's not good for the NBA!

It's not bad at all. Everybody (even David Stern) will tell you the NFL is more popular than the NBA, and this is the first NFL event in 3 months. I guarantee you everybody in the NBA offices knew this was going to happen.

 

[Gr00vus]

<yawn> Of course the first round of the NFL Draft in primetime is going to get better numbers than first round NBA playoff games. Anyone who tries to spin this as "bad news" for the NBA doesn't have a clue.

:( Exactly.Hmm, game 3 of a series (Cavs-Bulls) in the first round that everybody knows who will win the series? Or the first-round of the draft, that is a great party experience and the chance to see your favorite team re-load/re-build?

Well it's not good for the NBA!

It's not bad at all. Everybody (even David Stern) will tell you the NFL is more popular than the NBA, and this is the first NFL event in 3 months. I guarantee you everybody in the NBA offices knew this was going to happen.

Not only that, but some element of the fan base of every NFL team is interested in the NFL draft. A given 1st round NBA playoff matchup in a 7 game series is drawing mostly from the fanbase of 2 teams.

 

[Chicago Hooligan]

Draft = optimism

Bulls = dismay (I'm impressed that they won one though.)

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Everybody (even David Stern) will tell you the NFL is more popular than the NBA

I think that's the point.I don't think very many people would watch the NBA draft instead of the NFL playoffs.The NFL is a lot more popular than the NBA. So much more popular that the NFL draft won a head-to-head contest with the NBA playoffs.Maybe that's not news. But it's certainly bad for the NBA.The NBA is at about the same place now, IMO, as it was just before Magic and Bird entered the league. (Maybe not quite that bad, but it has definitely slipped since the Michael Jordan era.) It needs another Magic and Bird badly.

 

[menobrown]

I'm glad this post was made because it's something I've been talking about with friends the last few years. Why is the NBA insisting on challenging the NFL draft?

The last few years the first day of the draft took place on the first day of the NBA playoffs. Now I never knew if that was the NBA's or NFL's doing. I think I now know. By no coincidence the NBA put their two most marketable stars and teams (Lebron,Kobe) to directly challenge the first night of the NFL Draft. I know a lot of people here don't care for the NBA much like I don't care for MLB but I think Stern has been a great commish for a long time but this is one battle I can't figure out why he keeps wanting to fight. You can't beat the NFL.

 

[cdwood]

Its not the NBA playoffs challenging the NFL draft, its the other way around, and especially this year with the NFL draft moving to a 3 day format with 2 nights in primetime. Prior to this year the NFL draft was Saturday & Sunday afternoons. This year the NFL has shown its arrogance by moving its draft to Thursday & Friday nights and Saturday afternoon. Now the NFL has re-affirmed its popularity by this draft format and winning the ratings in comparison to the NBA and NHL playoffs. As for the NBA, did anyone really expect them to move their playoff games to avoid the NFL draft? If so, then you're automatically conceding defeat.

 

[Homer @ RJ]

I'm glad this post was made because it's something I've been talking about with friends the last few years. Why is the NBA insisting on challenging the NFL draft?The last few years the first day of the draft took place on the first day of the NBA playoffs. Now I never knew if that was the NBA's or NFL's doing. I think I now know. By no coincidence the NBA put their two most marketable stars and teams (Lebron,Kobe) to directly challenge the first night of the NFL Draft. I know a lot of people here don't care for the NBA much like I don't care for MLB but I think Stern has been a great commish for a long time but this is one battle I can't figure out why he keeps wanting to fight. You can't beat the NFL.

Should the NBA cancel their playoffs because the NFL changed their draft position?

 

[menobrown]

Its not the NBA playoffs challenging the NFL draft, its the other way around, and especially this year with the NFL draft moving to a 3 day format with 2 nights in primetime. Prior to this year the NFL draft was Saturday & Sunday afternoons. This year the NFL has shown its arrogance by moving its draft to Thursday & Friday nights and Saturday afternoon. Now the NFL has re-affirmed its popularity by this draft format and winning the ratings in comparison to the NBA and NHL playoffs. As for the NBA, did anyone really expect them to move their playoff games to avoid the NFL draft? If so, then you're automatically conceding defeat.

Simply not true. The NFL draft schedule had been set for about a year. The NBA playoff schedule was made a few days in advance. So the NBA is the one that decided to place it's two marquee series straight up against the NFL on Thursday night. Don't see how you can see it any different especially when until that night the Cavs and Lakers were not playing on the same night.

 

[menobrown]

I'm glad this post was made because it's something I've been talking about with friends the last few years. Why is the NBA insisting on challenging the NFL draft?The last few years the first day of the draft took place on the first day of the NBA playoffs. Now I never knew if that was the NBA's or NFL's doing. I think I now know. By no coincidence the NBA put their two most marketable stars and teams (Lebron,Kobe) to directly challenge the first night of the NFL Draft. I know a lot of people here don't care for the NBA much like I don't care for MLB but I think Stern has been a great commish for a long time but this is one battle I can't figure out why he keeps wanting to fight. You can't beat the NFL.

Should the NBA cancel their playoffs because the NFL changed their draft position?

Silly response. For instance the NBA could have went with the Kobe/Lebron double header on Friday night instead of trying to take on the first round of the draft. I think it's key to note the first two games of those series were not played on the same night but by no accident the NBA schedule those two games that night. Really, this is not difficult to see the NBA's plan here.

 

[Sinrman]

Gawd, that means they'll keep the draft on a 3 day love affair... ugh

 

[pollardsvision]

Everybody (even David Stern) will tell you the NFL is more popular than the NBA

I think that's the point.I don't think very many people would watch the NBA draft instead of the NFL playoffs.

The NFL is a lot more popular than the NBA. So much more popular that the NFL draft won a head-to-head contest with the NBA playoffs.

Maybe that's not news. But it's certainly bad for the NBA.

The NBA is at about the same place now, IMO, as it was just before Magic and Bird entered the league. (Maybe not quite that bad, but it has definitely slipped since the Michael Jordan era.) It needs another Magic and Bird badly.

I don't think the NBA tcan ever be what it was from Bird/Magic to Jordan. At least not without some major changes, that I doubt will ever come. I hope I'm wrong. It's impossible to recreate anything resembling Bird/Magic (unless the NBA considered a 3-year rule), but the NBA doesn't lack likeable stars now. The NBA as many likeable stars as they've ever had. Imo, the game is even more fun to watch now. Early 90's basketball was actually quite brutal to watch most of the time.

The NBA is suddenly very compelling, yet no one's really paying attention. I think there are a million reasons for this. Some can be fixed, but some probably can't. Again, I hope I'm wrong.

This story isn't news though. The NFL Draft in primetime would dominate any other sport 1st round of the playoffs. Hell, the NBA Draft would draw more viewers than the NBA 1st round of the playoffs if they battled.

 

[Mark Wimer]

What is the NBA?

National Badminton Association? National Barbecue Association? National Ballerina Alliance?Seriously, though, when one sport's draft event out-draws the playoffs of another's, that speaks volumes about the level of fan interest in the losers' sport. Part of the reason the NFL is so aggressively protecting their brand (a la Ben Roethlisberger suspension) is because they saw how the National Basketball Association's brand was severely tarnished/damaged by the thug image of a majority of their players (ie, Kobe Bryant rape trial, Allen Iverson's and Dennis Rodman's entire careers in the NBA, etc). People quit caring to watch pro basketball for a variety of reasons, but the "gangsta" mentality of a lot of the players in the NBA contributed to the decline of the sport's popularity among main-stream, slightly-right-of-center America, IMO.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Part of the reason the NFL is so aggressively protecting their brand (a la Ben Roethlisberger suspension) is because they saw how the National Basketball Association's brand was severely tarnished/damaged by the thug image of a majority of their players (ie, Kobe Bryant rape trial, Allen Iverson's and Dennis Rodman's entire careers in the NBA, etc).

I don't think it's fair of you to snub Ron Artest and Latrell Sprewell like that.

 

[Homer @ RJ]

I prefer the NFL to NBA as well, but if you guys want to sit here and add up rap sheets and criminal behavior, I don't think the NFL is going to do so well.

 

[Mark Wimer]

Part of the reason the NFL is so aggressively protecting their brand (a la Ben Roethlisberger suspension) is because they saw how the National Basketball Association's brand was severely tarnished/damaged by the thug image of a majority of their players (ie, Kobe Bryant rape trial, Allen Iverson's and Dennis Rodman's entire careers in the NBA, etc).

I don't think it's fair of you to snub Ron Artest and Latrell Sprewell like that.

LOL - Xactly my point.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

I prefer the NFL to NBA as well, but if you guys want to sit here and add up rap sheets and criminal behavior, I don't think the NFL is going to do so well.

They've both got their problems in that area, but I think Mark is right that the NFL's image is better (due to better PR).

 

[Mark Wimer]

I prefer the NFL to NBA as well, but if you guys want to sit here and add up rap sheets and criminal behavior, I don't think the NFL is going to do so well.

Point taken, but the NBA's commissioner/owners haven't been NEARLY as pro-active in addressing the criminal elements in their ranks as the NFL has tried to be. The level of "gansta" behavior in the NBA is off the charts - Earlier this year a major NBA player tried to set up a DUEL with another NBA player, to the point of bringing loaded pistols into a locker room and challenging his antagonist to a gun fight.This kind of incident is what I'm talking about - it could happen in the NFL, too, but I think most of the NFL players are aware of how the commissioner would respond and wouldn't risk such behavior at this juncture.

Arenas mocked the NBA commissioner and the media's reaction to his OK Corral stunt - behaving as if it was no big deal...

 

[thecatch]

I prefer the NFL to NBA as well, but if you guys want to sit here and add up rap sheets and criminal behavior, I don't think the NFL is going to do so well.

Point taken, but the NBA's commissioner/owners haven't been NEARLY as pro-active in addressing the criminal elements in their ranks as the NFL has tried to be. The level of "gansta" behavior in the NBA is off the charts - Earlier this year a major NBA player tried to set up a DUEL with another NBA player, to the point of bringing loaded pistols into a locker room and challenging his antagonist to a gun fight.This kind of incident is what I'm talking about - it could happen in the NFL, too, but I think most of the NFL players are aware of how the commissioner would respond and wouldn't risk such behavior at this juncture.

Arenas mocked the NBA commissioner and the media's reaction to his OK Corral stunt - behaving as if it was no big deal...

Arenas got hammered by Stern (suspension-wise) for that comment. The NFL's better image is a function of its popularity - people love the NFL and are thus more forgiving of its shortcomings - rather than having a more proactive Commissioner. Its hard to characterize Stern as "hands-off."

 

[cvnpoka]

wow a lot of ignorance about the nba itt.

and wimer, nice job cherrypicking the worst nba incident this year. i suppose someone could counter with litany of pacman incidents, marshall incidents, jeremy stevens rapes, drunk driving incidents from a boatload of players, which reminds me of the sex boat, burress shooting his gun in a club.

its really not close that the nfl has much worse behavior than the nba which is indeed a high bar to overcome.

 

[cvnpoka]

I prefer the NFL to NBA as well, but if you guys want to sit here and add up rap sheets and criminal behavior, I don't think the NFL is going to do so well.

They've both got their problems in that area, but I think Mark is right that the NFL's image is better (due to better PR).

leonard little, leon lett, nate newton.my favorite is proly jim brown. multiple accusations of rape and spousal abuse spanning 40 years. the nfl is so careful that they put him on the stage to announce picks.

 

[Kenny Powers]

wow a lot of ignorance about the nba itt.

and wimer, nice job cherrypicking the worst nba incident this year. i suppose someone could counter with litany of pacman incidents, marshall incidents, jeremy stevens rapes, drunk driving incidents from a boatload of players, which reminds me of the sex boat, burress shooting his gun in a club.

its really not close that the nfl has much worse behavior than the nba which is indeed a high bar to overcome.

Well there's what...like 450 players in the NBA and almost 1700 players in the NFL? Seems right that the NFL would more often have players with bad behavior

 

[bonesman]

Seriously, though, when one sport's draft event out-draws the playoffs of another's, that speaks volumes about the level of fan interest in the losers' sport.

The NBA teams that make it to the finals will have WON more playoff games than the average NFL team will have PLAYED all regular season long.

 

[TheWick]

People don't watch the NBA because its a terrible product, it has nothing to do with thug players.

The game is just silly 1 on 1 battles and completely controlled by the officials...terrible

 

[cvnpoka]

wow a lot of ignorance about the nba itt.

and wimer, nice job cherrypicking the worst nba incident this year. i suppose someone could counter with litany of pacman incidents, marshall incidents, jeremy stevens rapes, drunk driving incidents from a boatload of players, which reminds me of the sex boat, burress shooting his gun in a club.

its really not close that the nfl has much worse behavior than the nba which is indeed a high bar to overcome.

Well there's what...like 450 players in the NBA and almost 1700 players in the NFL? Seems right that the NFL would more often have players with bad behavior

not really sure what your point is.

 

[cvnpoka]

People don't watch the NBA because its a terrible product, it has nothing to do with thug players.The game is just silly 1 on 1 battles and completely controlled by the officials...terrible

right. so unlike college where players have heart, grit, desire, and play with great fundamentals.

 

[Kenny Powers]

wow a lot of ignorance about the nba itt.

and wimer, nice job cherrypicking the worst nba incident this year. i suppose someone could counter with litany of pacman incidents, marshall incidents, jeremy stevens rapes, drunk driving incidents from a boatload of players, which reminds me of the sex boat, burress shooting his gun in a club.

its really not close that the nfl has much worse behavior than the nba which is indeed a high bar to overcome.

Well there's what...like 450 players in the NBA and almost 1700 players in the NFL? Seems right that the NFL would more often have players with bad behavior

not really sure what your point is.

When the NFL has over 3 times the amount of players the NBA has, it would make sense if say, the NFL has over 3 times the amount of players who get in trouble compared to the NBA.I thought I was pretty clear the first time.

 

[TheWick]

People don't watch the NBA because its a terrible product, it has nothing to do with thug players.The game is just silly 1 on 1 battles and completely controlled by the officials...terrible

right. so unlike college where players have heart, grit, desire, and play with great fundamentals.

bingo

 

[Kenny Powers]

Those are all preliminary numbers. An Associated Press story this afternoon said the overnight ESPN number was 5.47. But the draft also was shown on NFL Network, where AP says it drew a 0.95 rating, for a combined total of 6.42.

Im actually surprised this number isnt a lot higher

 

[Kenny Powers]

Part of the reason the NFL is so aggressively protecting their brand (a la Ben Roethlisberger suspension) is because they saw how the National Basketball Association's brand was severely tarnished/damaged by the thug image of a majority of their players (ie, Kobe Bryant rape trial, Allen Iverson's and Dennis Rodman's entire careers in the NBA, etc). People quit caring to watch pro basketball for a variety of reasons, but the "gangsta" mentality of a lot of the players in the NBA contributed to the decline of the sport's popularity among main-stream, slightly-right-of-center America, IMO.

Iverson was arguably the most popular player in the league in the late 90's and until the King was drafted.

 

[cvnpoka]

When the NFL has over 3 times the amount of players the NBA has, it would make sense if say, the NFL has over 3 times the amount of players who get in trouble compared to the NBA.I thought I was pretty clear the first time.

do you think the general public factors this into their perception, esp when every other day another nfler is getting in trouble for dui, women beating, guns and other dumb stuff?put another way, i can rattle off a lot more transgressions by nfl players over the last couple years than nbaers.

 

[cvnpoka]

Seriously, though, when one sport's draft event out-draws the playoffs of another's, that speaks volumes about the level of fan interest in the losers' sport.

The NBA teams that make it to the finals will have WON more playoff games than the average NFL team will have PLAYED all regular season long.

ok someone is starting to get it. its pretty dumb to compare one game of a 7 game 1st round 16 team playoff with the only deciding game of a 12 team playoff.

 

[TheWick]

When the NFL has over 3 times the amount of players the NBA has, it would make sense if say, the NFL has over 3 times the amount of players who get in trouble compared to the NBA.I thought I was pretty clear the first time.

do you think the general public factors this into their perception, esp when every other day another nfler is getting in trouble for dui, women beating, guns and other dumb stuff?put another way, i can rattle off a lot more transgressions by nfl players over the last couple years than nbaers.

you can remember those NFL trangressions because your care more about the NFL and its a better, more popular game.

 

[cr8f]

<yawn> Of course the first round of the NFL Draft in primetime is going to get better numbers than first round NBA playoff games. Anyone who tries to spin this as "bad news" for the NBA doesn't have a clue.

Does that mean the NBA draft gets better ratings than NFL wildcard games?

 

[cvnpoka]

When the NFL has over 3 times the amount of players the NBA has, it would make sense if say, the NFL has over 3 times the amount of players who get in trouble compared to the NBA.I thought I was pretty clear the first time.

do you think the general public factors this into their perception, esp when every other day another nfler is getting in trouble for dui, women beating, guns and other dumb stuff?put another way, i can rattle off a lot more transgressions by nfl players over the last couple years than nbaers.

you can remember those NFL trangressions because your care more about the NFL and its a better, more popular game.

no i def care about and like nba a lot more. i guess that somehow wasnt obv.

 

[cvnpoka]

<yawn> Of course the first round of the NFL Draft in primetime is going to get better numbers than first round NBA playoff games. Anyone who tries to spin this as "bad news" for the NBA doesn't have a clue.

Does that mean the NBA draft gets better ratings than NFL wildcard games?

still not the same. would imagine a game 7 with a 2v3 seed would be similar.

 

[bonesman]

<yawn> Of course the first round of the NFL Draft in primetime is going to get better numbers than first round NBA playoff games. Anyone who tries to spin this as "bad news" for the NBA doesn't have a clue.

Does that mean the NBA draft gets better ratings than NFL wildcard games?

If the NFL played a 7 game series for the playoffs and had 82 regular season games and the NBA played 16 games and were 1 and done in the post season... without question.

 

[Gr00vus]

wow a lot of ignorance about the nba itt.and wimer, nice job cherrypicking the worst nba incident this year. i suppose someone could counter with litany of pacman incidents, marshall incidents, jeremy stevens rapes, drunk driving incidents from a boatload of players, which reminds me of the sex boat, burress shooting his gun in a club.its really not close that the nfl has much worse behavior than the nba which is indeed a high bar to overcome.

Let's not forget guys like Rae Carruth and Lawrence Phillips - pure class.One of the worst threads I've ever seen in the shark pool, complete with pure ignorance exhibited by some usually solid posters.