NBA All-Star Game Sets New Ratings Low

Like all sports everywhere, the NBA has been suffering in the television ratings game, dating back to last season and the restart in the Disney bubble. That included an all-time ratings low for the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat.

Well, it appears things aren't much better today, as it was revealed that Sunday's All-Star Game also hit an all-time ratings low.

Per Anthony Crupi of Sportico, Turner Sports' coverage of the NBA's midseason event averaged just 5.94 million viewers and just a 2.4 rating in the all-important 18-49 demographic. That was a drop of nearly 24 percent from the year-over-year average.

And consider this -- the record high for the All-Star Game, which came in 1993, averaged 22.9 million viewers and boasted a 14.3 rating.

The reasons (and excuses) for the sagging viewership of the NBA's biggest events are many. But theoretically, more people are at home in front of their TV sets during the age of the COVID-19 pandemic than ever before. And since NBA teams are allowing considerably less than full crowds ... well, about the only way to watch is via television, streaming or otherwise. And still, the numbers show that people are tuning into things other than pro basketball.